 Justin Peters of "Slate" magazine wrote during the Games that the IOC "ended up with a situation that seemed to negate the entire point of the sanctions against Russia.The IOC did not want there to be a Russian Olympic team at the Pyeongchang Games… [yet] arenas are full of teams of Russian Olympians… [this is] a half-hearted wrist slap issued by an entity that appears more interested in saving face than in protecting athletes".The CAS decision to overturn the life bans of 28 Russian athletes and restore their medals met fierce criticism among Olympic officials, including IOC president Thomas Bach who described the decision as "extremely disappointing and surprising".