Russia facing second Paralympic ban due to doping scheme

LONDON: Russia faces the strong possibility of being excluded from a second Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping scheme.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Monday they remain unconvinced Russia has adopted a new anti-doping culture and implemented the changes required to prove it is cleaning up in time for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.

The Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) claim they have fulfilled 62 of 67 criteria on the IPC reinstatement plan.

But the IPC said if Russia “does not meet its obligations in full by early September then there is a strong chance” of the team missing out on South Korea.

“This is not quite a final warning but it is saying we are running out of time fast,” IPC president Philip Craven said.

“With each day that passes there’s time to sort this one out.”

The IPC remains concerned about Russia’s “closed” cities where many athletes train but that limit access to drug testers, a matter in the control of the government rather than the Paralympic organisation in Russia.

“Ultimately, Russia has to restore confidence in the wider sporting world,” Craven said.

“The RPC and Russian authorities need to build trust in their actions and prove to us all that from now on sport really is about morals over medals and not the other way round.”

■ ADDIS ABABA (Ethiopia): Ethiopia has conducted doping tests on more than 350 athletes, the vast majority of them track and field competitors.

Mekonnnen Yidersal, the director general of the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Office, says the exercise was “successful” and a laboratory is expected to complete testing on the samples in 10 days.

Anti-doping authorities tested 339 track and field athletes last week.

Ethiopia’s apparently weak anti-doping programme came under the spotlight last year when the World Anti-Doping Agency urged it to carry out more tests.

Ethiopia has also criminalised doping. Dopers can to be sent to jail for up to five years. — AP