Russia Ban Upheld For Winter Paralympics

30 Jan 2018 | tshego

Share on

The ban on Russia competing at the 2018 Winter Paralympics has been upheld by the International Paralympic Committee, although Russian Para-athletes who can prove they are clean will be allowed to compete in some sports in Pyeongchang as neutrals.

Russia was banned from all Paralympic competition in August 2016 after details of state-sponsored doping were revealed.

Monday’s decision will allow eligible Russian para-athletes who meet strict conditions to compete in five sports – alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, snowboard and wheelchair curling – under the name Neutral Paralympic Athlete (NPA) at the Winter Games, which takes place between 9th and 18th March.

The decision comes after all but two of the key measures needed for reinstatement, set out by an independent taskforce, were met.

The IPC’s approach reflects the position adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which announced in December that it had suspended the Russian Olympic Committee, but would allow athletes from Russia to compete under a neutral flag at next month’s Games.

Andrew Parsons, president of the IPC, said: “In reaching our decision to allow eligible neutral para athletes to compete at PyeongChang 2018, the IPC governing board considered many factors, including those that led to the RPC’s suspension back in 2016.

“In the summer of 2016 the anti-doping system in Russia was found to be totally compromised, corrupted and open to abuse. This made it impossible to determine which Russian para-athletes were clean and which were not; it was clear that Russia’s participation in para-sport events would severely question the integrity and credibility of sporting competition.

“At the time we took measures that were necessary and proportionate to the situation we faced, and that were essential to ensure clean sport. We took the correct decision for the Paralympic Movement and para-athletes. 17 months on, we face a different picture in Russia and it is important that once again our decision is necessary and proportionate to what is in front of us.

“Although the RPC remains suspended, they have made significant progress and we have to recognise this. Russian para-athletes are now regularly tested and are amongst the most scrutinised para-athletes in the world. Under the supervision of WADA, we now have greater confidence that the anti-doping system in Russia is no longer compromised or corrupted. We have also witnessed behavioural and cultural changes by the RPC, which we hope will one day positively influence officials within the wider Russian federation.

“It is now the view of the IPC governing board, which includes six para-athletes, that allowing Russian para-athletes who meet strict criteria to compete in PyeongChang as neutrals will not jeopardise our responsibility to ensure clean sport and a level playing field for all para-athletes.

“We hope this decision will be fully respected not just by the RPC but by the Paralympic movement as a whole. We also hope that this decision will further encourage the RPC to work with its institutional partners, in particular those within Russian authorities, to meet the reinstatement criteria in full so that the next time a major sporting event takes place within the movement, the RPC can enter its athletes under the Russian flag.”

The Winter Paralympics begin in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Friday 9th March.