Russia banned from Rio Paralympics over doping

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Russia’s Beslan Mudranov (white), competes against Kazakhstan’s Yeldos Smetov during the fi nal of the men’s 60-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug 6. (AP)
Russia’s Beslan Mudranov (white), competes against Kazakhstan’s Yeldos Smetov during the fi nal of the men’s 60-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug 6. (AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 7, (AFP): Russia was kicked out of the Rio Paralympic Games on Sunday over “state-sponsored” doping revealed in an inquiry last month. “Their medals over morals attitude disgusts me,” said International Parlympics Committee (IPC) president Philip Craven as he announced Russia’s suspension from the body.

The suspension means that Russia cannot compete in the Rio Paralympics from Sept 7 to Sept 18. The International Olympic Committee decided to let Russia into the Rio Olympics now underway, but eliminated 100 athletes who were fi ltered out by individual federations.

Russia denies the state-orchestrated doping outlined in a report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Its sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, called the Paralympic decision “beyond belief”. But the IPC leader lambasted Russia’s actions. “With the full facts to hand, we were deeply saddened to fi nd that the state-sponsored doping that exists in Russian sport regrettably extends to Russian Para sport as well,” said Craven.

“Tragically this situation is not about athletes cheating a system but about a state-run system that is cheating athletes. “The doping culture that is polluting Russian sport stems from the Russian government and has now been uncovered in not one, but two independent reports commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.” While the IOC had to act quickly after the McLaren report was released on July 18 because the Rio Olympics was so close, Craven said the IPC had sought more information. He said “further questions” had been asked of McLaren and the results of new samples studied.

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