Door Open for Russian Paralympians at PyeongChang 2018

(ATR) International Paralympic Committee president Philip Craven says Russia is taking steps in the right direction to rejoin the Paralympic Movement.

The IPC leader met with three Russian officials in Bonn, Germany on March 10 to discuss progress towards the reinstatement conditions given to the Russian Paralympic Committee. While there is still much work needed to be done, Craven says "the door is certainly not closed on Russia’s participation at PyeongChang 2018".

"The ball is very much in the court of the RPC," Craven said in an IPC statement. "They know what they need to do and the timeline they can possibly achieve it in. One thing is for certain, the RPC can count on the continued full support of the IPC Taskforce throughout the process."

Craven held talks with RPC vice president Oleg Smolin, State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth Affairs deputy chairman Vyacheslav Fetisov and fellow committee member Valeriy Gazzaev.

Duma vice-speaker Igor Lebedev and PCSTYA Committee chair Mikhail Degtyarev were also supposed to attend the meeting at IPC headquarters but were denied entry to the country. Russia has reportedly threatened diplomatic consequences for the denial of its delegates.

Despite the mix-up, IPC chief Craven says the discussions marked progress in Russia’s reinstatement process.

"It was an encouraging meeting and certainly a step in the right direction, especially after last week’s admission from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia’s ‘anti-doping system has failed’," Craven said in a statement.

IPC Taskforce independent chairperson Andy Parkinson thanked the Russian officials for doing their part to help reinstate the RPC. Parkinson says that these positive discussions now need to be turned into positive actions.

"The key now is for us to see material and cultural changes in Russia," Parkinson said. "Specifically, we need to see the RPC and Russian authorities adequately address the findings made by Professor McLaren in his two independent reports.

"Critical to the RPC’s reinstatement will be the return of the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) to compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code."

That reinstatement could face delays due to the decision by RUSADA to reappoint Yelena Isinbayeva as chair of its supervisory board. The Russian pole vault star has been one of the most vocal athletes throughout the entirety of the Russian doping saga, calling the McLaren investigation and resulting athletic suspensions "a blatant political order".

Politics or not, the investigation backed by the World Anti-Doping Agency resulted in evidence of state-sponsored doping programs in Russia that afflicted up to 1,000 athletes and has caused multiple headaches for the Olympic Movement.

WADA has expressed disappointment in the reelection of Isinbayeva by RUSADA, saying the decision ''is not consistent with the roadmap established by WADA'' for Russia to be reinstated.

"Whilst it is the decision of the Russian authorities to elect its board members, the agency shall be passing this information on to its independent Compliance Review Committee for their review," a WADA statement reads.

Despite the disapproval, Isinbayeva says she will work diligently to end the doping woes in her country.

"We will watch and control everybody and everything," Isinbayeva said in an interview at RUSADA following her reappointment. "We have just one attempt ... to clear our sport of this dirt."

Written by Kevin Nutley

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