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Doping scandal in Russian sports

Russian para-athletes to compete at 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, says IPC president

The Russian Paralympic Committee has "efficient anti-doping policy," the IPC president admitted

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons Vladimir Smirnov/TASS

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons

© Vladimir Smirnov/TASS

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Russia will compete at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons said in an interview with TASS.

In February, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) conditionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC), making it possible for Russian para-athletes to participate in international competitions. Anti-doping bodies will continue to strictly monitor them for another three years, which was a key condition for the RPC’s reinstatement.

Read also

Russia plans to hold international competitions for para-athletes

"Russia will compete in Tokyo and Russia will compete as ‘Russia.’ I think it’s very good not only for your country but for the Paralympic movement as a whole," Parsons pointed out.

"I think we had an issue, then of course we had a very specific situation with the Russian Paralympic Committee, but they have worked really hard and they were really cooperative, that’s why we lifted the suspension in general and we have been working with them. They now have one of the most sophisticated and most efficient anti-doping policy among all national Paralympic committees," the IPC president said.

The IPC suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee in August 2016 in the wake of a report about a state-sponsored doping system in Russia, presented by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission headed by Richard McLaren. As a result, Russian para-athletes did not compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and had to compete as neutrals at the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang.

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Doping scandal in Russian sports

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