Russian paralympians remain banned as CAS dismisses appeal
Russian competitors remained banned from the Rio Paralympics after the The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the decision over evidence of state-run doping
Russian competitors remained banned from the Rio Paralympics after the country lost an appeal Tuesday against a suspension issued over evidence of state-run doping.
Nothing new
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeal filed by the Russian Paralympic Committee, which sought to overturn the ban announced on August 7 by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The IPC took the dramatic action after the release of a bombshell report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that detailed a vast Russian drug-cheating programme supported by the government. The Lausanne-based CAS said Russia 'did not file any evidence contradicting the facts on which the IPC decision was based.'
'As a consequence, the IPC decision is confirmed,' the court said in a statement.
Thirst for glory at all costs
The ruling was the latest blow to Russian sport, which also saw dozens of its Olympic hopefuls banned from the just-concluded Rio Games over doping allegations. Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko has slammed the Paralympic ban as 'beyond belief'.
IPC chief Philip Craven has countered that Russia's 'thirst for glory at all costs has severely damaged the integrity and image of all sport'.
Russia continues to deny the findings of the McLaren report, including the involvement of the sports ministry and the Russian secret service in doping fraud at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
The Paralympics, held every four years for athletes with disabilities, has taken place in various forms since 1948 but has grown in importance over the past 20 years. Nearly 4,300 athletes from 164 countries took part in the 2012 London Paralympic Games. The 2016 Rio Paralympics next month will see athletes compete in 23 disciplines over 11 days.