(ATR) The International Paralympic Committee maintains the blanket ban on Russia but delays a decision on Russian athletes competing in PyeongChang.
The announcement was made Wednesday, a day after the IPC Governing Board was told by the taskforce monitoring the Russian Paralympic Committee that the RPC still needs to meet five key criteria for reinstatement.
"The RPC is making headway with the IPC on three of the five remaining reinstatement criteria, however sadly, and much to our growing disappointment and frustration, there is a lack of progress regarding an official response from the Russian authorities specifically and adequately addressing the McLaren findings and evidence," IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement.
Despite keeping the RPC ban in place, the IPC is making every effort to allow Russian athletes to compete at the PyeongChang Paralympics in March. A final decision on whether Russia will take part will be made at the IPC Governing Board’s next meeting in late January.
"As the deadline for athlete entries for PyeongChang 2018 is 23 February, the IPC Governing Board’s next meeting from 26-28 January really is the last chance for Russia to meet the criteria in time for the Games," said Parsons.
In the meantime, the IPC Governing Board approved the continuation of a measure introduced in September that allows Russian athletes to compete as neutrals in qualification events across the winter sports of alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing and snowboard.
This would allow the RPC, if reinstated in time, to enter its qualified athletes into the Games.
If the RPC is not reinstated, Russia will miss out on a second consecutive Paralympics, having been banned ahead of the last Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The absence of a Russian team would be felt by the athletes who do take part in PyeongChang.
"The Paralympic Games is the absolute pinnacle for every single Para athlete," Chelsey Gotell, Chairperson of the IPC Athletes’ Council, said in a statement. "At a Paralympics you want to compete against the best in the world and whether Russia competes or not at PyeongChang 2018 will have an impact on every single athlete heading to the Games."
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Written by Gerard Farek
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