On Thursday, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, seen as a potential candidate for the vacant position of head of the country’s Olympic Committee, called for improved relations and an end to the ongoing disputes with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), citing Reuters. Degtyarev spoke at a high-level sports meeting attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, just days after the resignation of National Olympic Committee head Stanislav Pozdnyakov, who pointed to the need for changes due to the geopolitical challenges facing Russian sports. 15 Russian athletes have been included on…