Paralympics world body to lift Russia’s doping suspension
MOSCOW: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Friday it would lift the ban on Russian Para athletes by March 15, but only under certain conditions. Russia has been barred from international competitions since August 2016 over allegations of state-sponsored doping similar to the ones that led to the suspension of its athletics federation and anti-doping agency.
The IPC said the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) had met 69 of the 70 reinstatement criteria outlined in 2016 after it was suspended.
The one reinstatement condition that has not been met is “an official response adequately addressing the findings made by Professor Mclaren”, it said.
TOKYO TO USE E-WASTE FOR OLYMPIC MEDALS
TOKYO: All medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be made from metal collected by recycling electronic waste, games organisers said on Friday.
Tokyo’s organising committee in 2017 launched a project to collect assorted electronic waste — including old smartphones and laptops — from the public to collect metal for the medals.
Recycled metal has also been collected from local Japanese businesses and industry.
In a statement issued on Friday, organisers said the collection was expected to reach its goal and will end in late March. Organisers had set a target of 2,700 kgs of bronze, 30.3 kgs of gold and 4,100 kg of silver. They hit the target for bronze last June, and by October had more than 90 percent of the gold and 85 percent of the silver.
KENYA’S KIPROP BAGS RAK HALF MARATHON
DUBAI: Kenya’s 19-year-old Stephen Kiprop won the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) half marathon on Friday in a course recordequalling 58 minutes and 42 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a teenager.
Ethiopians Abadi Hadis and Fikadu Haftu completed the podium and Switzerland’s Julien Wanders was fourth in a time of 59:13, a Swiss national record. Hadis led Kiprop until the final 50 metres before the young Kenyan powered past him to finish two seconds ahead.
In women’s race, Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi won in 1:05:45, ahead of compatriots Netsanet Gudeta and Zeineba Yimer, only one second separating all three.
PETRUCCI FASTEST IN SEPANG TEST
SEPANG,MALAYSIA: Danilo Petrucci topped the timesheets in Malaysia on Friday, emerging as the fastest-ever Motogp rider at the Sepang circuit and enabling Italian manufacturer Ducati to dominate the final day of testing.
In dry but blistering hot conditions, Petrucci — who has replaced Jorge Lorenzo in the Ducati team — topped the timesheets to set a stunning 1 minute 58.239 seconds early in the final three-day test.