Russian athletes have officially been banned from competing in the upcoming 2016 Paralympics – set to follow the Olympic games just days later in Rio – after a state-sponsored doping program operated by the country.
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The International Paralympics Committee President Sir Philip Craven said, “Russia’s anti-doping system is completely broken. Therefore it can not fulfil its fundamental obligations as an IPC member and as a result the IPC Governing Board has resolved to suspend the Russian Paralympic Comittee with immediate effect”, he said.
It decided against a total ban, leaving it to the individual sports federations to make the call, with the IPC’s more drastic approach frowned upon by World Archery, which said no Russian archers had been implicated by the McLaren report.
The Olympic Games, which opened Friday, run through August 21 in Rio, while the Paralympics will be held in the city from September 7 through 18. “Their medals over morals mentality disgusts me”.
Other Russian athletes competing in Rio narrowly managed to escape the fate now facing their Paralympic counterparts.
As Deadspin mentions, at least 35 Russian Paralympians were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Russian doping report.
“This has without doubt been the hardest decision the IPC has ever had to take”, an IPC email stated. The Russian Paralympic Committee is going to protest the decision in court, but the lawsuit has not been filed yet.
It was found by the Canadian law professor, Richard McLaren, how the Russian government is cheating with their athletes’ drug tests.
There are estimated to be approximately 175 countries competing in 526 events at the Paralympics in Rio, the global sporting competition for physically disabled athletes.
Russian Federation finished second in the medal standings at the 2012 London Paralympics and had 267 athlete slots for Rio in 18 sports, which will only now be filled in September if an appeal is successful.
Disabled athletes usually take part at Paralympic.
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The Russian Paralympic teams, however, weren’t so lucky: they have been completely banned from the upcoming Paralympics in Rio due to alleged widespread Russian doping during the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. “Their unanimous decision goes a long way towards inspiring us all”, said Travis Tygart, chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
