Chiller pours cold water on Russia cheats meet

AUSTRALIA’S Olympic delegation head Kitty Chiller has questioned Russia’s determination to eliminate drug cheats after it was announced that the country would host an alternative event for banned track and field athletes in Moscow.

On Wednesday, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) upheld the ban on 67 Russian track and field athletes for systematic state-sponsored doping, ending any hopes they had of competing at next month’s Rio Games.

The Moscow tournament, which was announced by Russian state news agency TASS, will feature banned athletes including Olympic high jump champion Ivan Ukhov and world 110 metres hurdles champion Sergey Shubenkov.

“On one hand Russia is saying they want to change their system and the culture of doping in their country,” Chiller told reporters on Thursday.

“And yet to organise an event for those cheats and for those dopers I think is completely the wrong message.” – Reuters