South Korea Open to Russian Paralympic Reinstatement

(ATR) Olympic hosts South Korea among 14 countries ready to welcome Russia back into Paralympic Movement.

Guardar
Members of Russia's delegation parade
Members of Russia's delegation parade during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on August 29, 2012. AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL (Photo credit should read LEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImages)

(ATR) Winter Olympic hosts South Korea are among 14 countries ready to welcome Russia back into the Paralympic Movement.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the Russian Paralympic Committee released a letter from the 14 signatories who say they are encouraged by Russia’s efforts to regain the trust of its fellow National Paralympic Committees.

"We, the signatories, are inspired by the Russian Committee’s work to create an open environment with zero tolerance for doping and to protect clean sports; systematic technologies; to raise awareness in anti-doping issues not only among athletes but also among those who train them; a database to prevent the use of doping in Russian Paralympic sports," the letter states as reported by TASS.

The other signatories on the letter include the NPCs of Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Serbia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

While undoubtedly refreshing for Russia to receive any notice of support at this stage, the International Paralympic Committee tells Around the Rings the only factor it will consider in lifting the suspension is the work of its independent taskforce.

"When deciding if NPC Russia will have its suspension lifted or not, the only views that the IPC will take into account are those of the IPC Taskforce who are responsible for monitoring NPC Russia’s progress in meeting the reinstatement criteria," an IPC spokesperson tells ATR.

Russia has been suspended by the IPC since before the Rio 2016 Paralympics for the state-sponsored doping programs outlined by WADA-backed investigations by Richard Pound and Richard McLaren.

At the time, IPC president Philip Craven went against the precedent set by the International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach that allowed individual federations to determine the eligibility of Russian athletes at Rio 2016. Craven attributed the unanimous decision of the IPC Board to the "broken, corrupted and entirely compromised" nature of the Russian anti-doping systems.

The IPC independent taskforce seeking to ensure that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and RPC are following guidelines to install better anti-doping systems and practices. ATR is told a report from this taskforce will be heard at the IPC Governing Board meeting Sep. 3-4 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where the "board will then decide the best course of action".

A decision could be made regarding Russia’s participation at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics during this gathering of the world’s NPCs at the subsequent IPC General Assembly from Sep. 5-8. The assembly will also elect the next IPC president between candidates Zhang Haidi, Patrick Jarvis, Andrew Parsons and John Petersson.

The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympics take place from March 8-18. It could be up to the next IPC president and the new Governing Board to determine the eligibility of Russian athletes, either as individuals or under the Russian flag.

Written by Kevin Nutley

Forgeneral comments or questions, click here.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about theOlympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.

Guardar

Últimas Noticias

Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons

Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came

Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024

She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa

Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris

Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rugby 7s: the best player

Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years

The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the

Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”

The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping