FAIR GAME

Russia’s Paralympics Ban Will Be Lifted Next Month

Since the 2016 McLaren Report revealed a Kremlin-sponsored doping program.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced Friday that its ban on Russian athletes from its competitions will be lifted next month. The 2016 publication of the McLaren Report, commissioned by the World Anti-Doping League, revealed an extensive doping program sponsored by the Russian government and resulted in a ban on Russian athletes from the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Those who tested clean of performance-enhancing drugs were allowed to compete in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games under a neutral flag. IPC President Andrew Parsons said the suspension “is no longer necessary and proportionate.” CNN says a report published on the official Paralympics site states the Russian Paralympic authority had implemented 69 out of 70 IPC measures necessary to reinstate the athletes. It is, according to Parsons, “now a very different organization to the one that it was prior to Rio 2016.” New measures include regular testing of athletes under World Anti-Doping Agency supervision and the barring of any Russian official from involvement within the RPC.

Stolen Gold

Russian Who Fixed the Winter Olympics Had a Link to Trump

Michael Daly