Russian athletes cannot compete as neutrals at Paralympics: IPC

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian athletes seeking to take part individually in the Paralympic Games in order to sidestep a blanket ban will not be allowed to compete under a neutral banner, the International Paralympic Committee ruled, according to AFP.

A statement from the IPC said more than 175 Russian athletes who had applied to compete individually would remain barred from the games, which open on September 7.

The IPC on August 7 announced it was banning Russian competitors from the Paralympic Games following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report which alleged a vast state-sponsored doping program.

The IPC said Thursday, September 1 its position had been backed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which had rejected a Russian request to require the body to accept applications from athletes who could show they were "clean."

"The IPC has considerable sympathy for all of the Russian athletes who are now unable to participate in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games," IPC chief executive Xavier Gonzalez said in a statement.

"The main goal of the IPC is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world. Tragically, however, the Russian authorities have denied their athletes this chance through their actions."

"Once the Russian Paralympic Committee demonstrates that it will be able in the future to enforce the IPC Anti-Doping Code vigorously and effectively, without interference, the IPC will be glad to welcome Russian athletes back to international competition."

The Paralympic chiefs had taken the decision to impose a blanket ban on Russian competitors following the release of a report commissioned by WADA detailing drug-cheating directed by Moscow government officials and affecting dozens of sports.

An appeal against the ban was dismissed by CAS in Switzerland on August 23, drawing a furious response from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who decried the suspension as "outside the law, morality, humanity."