PARALYMPICS BANS RUSSIANS

‘Medals over morals’ prompts ouster

Russia was thrown out of the Paralympic Games on Sunday, with the International Paralympic Committee president saying: “Their medals-over-morals mentality disgusts me.”

Philip Craven said Russia had to pay the price for bringing about “one of the darkest days in the history of all sport.”

Craven also said there were more “abhorrent” revelations to come from an ongoing investigation that has found Vladimir Putin’s government guilty both of state-sponsored doping and a corresponding coverup on an “unprecedented” scale.

However, Craven refused to condemn the International Olympic Committee — of which he is a member — for failing to show the same courage in its own handling of a crisis that has engulfed Rio 2016. The IOC banned Russia’s track and field athletes from the Games, as well as Russians who had previously been suspended for doping, but left other decisions up to the international sport federations.

The Canadian Paralympic Committee welcomed the move.

“The Canadian Paralympic Committee applauds the International Paralympic Committee’s strong leadership and continued stance on ensuring that our movement upholds the values of clean sport and fair play,” president Gaetan Tardif said.

“We continue to remain focused on providing a high performance, distraction-free environment for Team Canada’s Paralympic athletes who are getting ready to compete in Rio in September.”

The Paralympic Games begin Sept. 7.

Craven also declared Russia — which is hosting the next World Cup — of being unfit currently to stage any sporting event.

“At this moment in time, I can’t see how any events can take place there until the trust is re-established,” he said.

“Russia is a great sporting nation. I think it’s lost its greatness. It needs to get it back.”