Russia’s years of doping deception, including tampering with samples at the 2014 Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi, southern Russian Federation, were outlined last month by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren. “The actions were a body blow to clean, fair, honest sport”.
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“Tragically this situation is not about athletes cheating a system, but about a state-run system that is cheating the athletes”, said IPC President Philip Craven.
When asked why he, as an International Olympic Committee member, supported Bach’s decision to let each sport make its own assessment on individual Russian athletes for the Rio Olympics – a convoluted and at times chaotic process that has led to Russia fielding a team of 278 athletes – Craven stressed the differences between the structures of the two organisations.
Craven said there had been nearly constant dialogue between his staff and McLaren’s over the last three weeks as the IPC tried to get more details from McLaren.
“The facts really do hurt”, Craven said. Their medals over morals mentality disgusts me.
“I have deep sympathy for Russian Para athletes who will miss out on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games”. It shows a blatant disregard for the health and wellbeing of athletes. Their thirst for glory at all costs has severely damaged the integrity and image of all sport.
The IPC followed the recommendation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Russian athletes will not be competing in the September Paralympics after authorities discovering irrefutable evidence of doping. It can’t fulfill its fundamental obligations as an IPC member.
The decision to ban Russian athletes from next month’s Rio Paralympic Games over doping allegations was a grave abuse of human rights, according to the head of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC). McLaren’s report found that the testing procedures across Russian Paralympic competition had been compromised, with urine samples swapped out to avoid positive tests, described by Craven as an “abhorrent practice”.
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According to Craven, McLaren provided details of 10 new altered tests this week, and he believes there will be even more evidence of Russian malfeasance soon to emerge. “Our team is one of the best in the world and its results are proof”.
