Closed stroller. Expert on the removal of the Russian national team: now they got to the Paralympians But after all, not all Paralympians took doping! Why everyone is punished
The Russian national team in full force will miss the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The decision was taken by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) based on the report of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Richard McLaren. The Russian side has already contested the verdict in the Lausanne Sports Arbitration. "Lenta.ru" understands the circumstances of the incident.
Against the background of the unfolding war over the fate of the Russian Olympians, the news that the IPC is going to consider the disqualification of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) went almost unnoticed. Meanwhile, the organization opened a corresponding case against the RPC on July 22. The reason was the infamous report by the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) led by Richard McLaren. It turned out that there are at least 35 Paralympians in the lists of domestic athletes involved in doping schemes.
The leapfrog with a barrage of suspensions and admissions of domestic Olympians lasted until the beginning of the opening ceremony on August 5, and again no one remembered the Paralympians. The alarm bell rang out on August 6: the British edition of The Guardian published material stating that the fate of the Russians was a foregone conclusion, and they would definitely not be able to participate in the competition. The publication also said that representatives of the IGC and the RPC held a three-hour meeting to discuss the current state of affairs.
The reaction from the RPC was not long in coming. The president of the organization, Vladimir Lukin, called the information about the removal of the Russian national team from the Games in Rio de Janeiro "journalistic guesses": ... And now there is nothing to discuss. "
IPC head Philip Craven, announcing the decision on the Russians, was short: “We spent a lot of time studying McLaren's report, listened to the Russian side, but she could not prove her case. We temporarily suspend the membership of the RPC and, thus, do not allow the Russian national team to participate in the Paralympic Games. "
What happened in 2014? According to the IPC, everything is very clear. “There is evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi Paralympics. 21 samples from 7 Russian athletes from the 2014 Olympic Games were retested, we conducted a new investigation after the McLaren report. It turned out that only 19 samples could be tested normally, 18 lids were scratched, which proves they were opened and used again, ”Craven said.
In addition, he expressed regret in connection with what was happening and sympathy for the "pure" Russian Paralympians, but noted that he had no other choice. And he added that they were let down by the government, which turned a blind eye to the development of the doping system in domestic sports. What did the RPC and the Ministry of Sports answer to this? The reaction was about the same as to the numerous dismissals of domestic Olympians, to whom in most cases they were unequivocally hinted that the rescue of the drowning was the work of the drowning themselves.
Declarations full of righteous anger followed from everywhere. The Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko was in the usual bewilderment for him in recent weeks: “This is an unprecedented decision. I don't understand what it is based on. It looks like one person was taking it. A large number of athletes and people with disabilities suffer. We will fully support the RCC, - promised Mutko. - RPC needs to go to court. Sports Arbitration (CAS) or other. "
The deputy head of the State Duma committee for physical culture, sports and youth affairs Sergei Poddubny echoed him: “The same is repeated, as was the case with the Olympic team. If there is evidence, let it be voiced, let it present it, and those athletes who actually violated the doping law should be punished. "
Our Paralympic Committee, taught by the bitter experience of brothers in misfortune from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), took the bull by the horns and has already filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “We just filed an appeal with the CAS. Will be reviewed in due course. This is all the black PR of Citizen Craven, "Lev Seleznev, President of the All-Russian Federation of Sports of Persons with Locomotor Impairment (PADA), said in an interview with R-Sport.
The RPC has 21 days to back up its words with action and to get the IPC decision to be reconsidered. Indeed, as Craven emphasized, Russian athletes will not be able to compete at the Paralympics in Brazil individually, they can only be admitted to the Games as a single team. At the same time, as reports, he admitted that the Russians still have a chance to fix everything: “I think that the Russian athletes will have time to return and perform in Rio. True, it all depends on when the appeal is filed and how quickly it will be considered. "
It is clear that our athletes do not expect special sympathy or pity, they only need the right to participate in, possibly, the main starts of their whole life. I would like to believe that this time Russian officials will not shyly look away and stand aside, but will do everything possible and impossible to prevent a repetition of the scenario with Russian weight and athletics.
The main reason for the removal of Russian Paralympic athletes
many have probably already seen this sign?
it clearly shows who is in what place in their successes.
and in what, roughly speaking, ass-naglo-Saxons, deployed against our country all this chaos.
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CNN: The decision to remove the Russian Paralympians is admirable.
the decision to bar Russian Paralympic athletes from participating in the Rio Olympics was received with surprise and admiration, according to the American television channel CNN. At the same time, the head of the IPC (an Englishman) said that he was "disgusted" by the Russian mentality, which "puts medals above morality."
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the chest just opened.
I dream that those who started all this would be ruined to the bone with millions / billions of claims
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PySy: And here is such a cherry on the cake:
- 17 July 2016
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) asks the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove the Olympic and Paralympic Committees of the Russian Federation from the 2016 Games, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, RIA Novosti reports.
“In accordance with the Principles, Charter and Code, USADA asks the IOC Executive Board to suspend the Russian Olympic and Paralympic Committees from participating in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. IOC President Thomas Bach rightfully described the actions of the Russian side, if the truth of the charges is proven, as "shocking unprecedented scale of doping at an unprecedented level of crime." We believe that total dismissal is the only correct solution given the findings of the report. There can be no doubt that strong and decisive action must be taken by the IOC in order to combat corruption in the Games, doping in sports, as well as to protect clean athletes and to preserve the integrity of the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Olympic Movement, ”
said in a letter addressed to IOC President Thomas Bach.
In total, according to the New York Times, anti-doping organizations of 10 countries, as well as 20 groups of athletes, require the removal of the Russian national team from the games.
“Representatives of anti-doping agencies of at least 10 countries and 20 groups of athletes are preparing an emergency step demanding the removal of the entire Russian delegation from the Summer Olympic Games in connection with accusations of the state doping program,” the newspaper writes with reference to some “e-mail”.
It is noted that we are talking, in particular, about the "USA, Germany, Spain, Japan, Switzerland, Canada" and other countries.
The article also reports that supporters of the removal of the Russian Federation from the 2016 Games "await an investigation of charges published in the New York Times in May of the state doping program at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi," which was made by the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov.
“The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report is likely to confirm what will become one of the biggest doping scandals in history. This will be a "watershed moment" for "pure" sport, "- quoted by the newspaper director of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations Joseph not Pence."
TASHKENT, 8 Aug - Sputnik, Maria Sheludyakova. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has suspended the Russian national team from the 2016 Paralympics, which will be held in Rio from September 7 to 18. The Russian Paralympians called the suspension of the entire team unfair and decided to file a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Skier, six-time Paralympic champion Roman Petushkov told Sputnik that the committee's decision was dictated by politics.
I have no words
The athlete noted that the Russian Paralympians do not give up hope that the court will make a fair decision and continue training.
“We believe that reason will prevail, and we hope for a better outcome,” said Roman Petushkov. “The International Paralympic Committee made a mistake and made an extremely unpleasant, humiliating decision. , we try to keep ourselves together and keep training. "
"Slippery Accusations"
A member of the IPC Council of Athletes, Paralympic champion, State Duma deputy, member of the RPC executive committee Mikhail Terentyev told Sputnik that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will make a fair decision in favor of the Russians due to the obvious lack of evidence.
"I believe that the court's decision will be fair, because we are trying to protect the right of athletes who have been preparing for the Games for a long time, to prove themselves. The International Paralympic Committee made a decision on the basis of" slippery accusations. "Obviously, the truth is on our side," Mikhail Terentyev.
The International Paralympic Committee decided to suspend the Russian national team after studying the report of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) led by Richard McLaren. The IPC concluded that the Russian anti-doping system was entirely "compromised."
We have proof
President of the Russian Paralympic Committee Vladimir Lukin also noted during the press conference that the International Paralympic Committee had ruled to suspend the national team without proving the athletes' guilt.
Lukin stressed that the reason for the suspension of membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee and, consequently, the actual removal of 270 "clean" athletes was the McLaren report, which claims that several dozen samples were positive. At the same time, contradictory data are given: the number of athletes ranges from 25 to 35, their names are not indicated.
“The overwhelming majority of the athletes who are denied participation are absolutely 'clean'. Their samples have been repeatedly checked, including by foreign organizations, including WADA,” Lukin said. “The report indicates that the Russian Paralympic Committee was ineffective in monitoring doping. We have irrefutable evidence of all the work required. "
The President stressed that the Russian Paralympic Committee fulfilled all the requirements of the International Committee, for which over the years the national committee received numerous compliments.
"The whole process is controlled by the International Paralympic Committee, which accuses us of violating the rules. The question arises: who is violating. No national committee has been involved in doping control as carefully and intensively as ours. We performed 120% of our responsibilities," Lukin said ...
Punishment first, crime later
The President of the Russian Paralympic Committee called unfair the fact that the verdict was passed before the investigation without providing any evidence.
“I was shocked that at first 270 'clean' athletes were punished, and then they will find out whether this is fair,” he stressed. . Which comes first, crime or punishment? "
Lukin noted the need to search for legal solutions to the problem, while he expressed confidence that the Russians will be able to prove their case. The Russian team continues to prepare for the Games.
Suspended the best
Russian politicians, journalists and bloggers on the Internet have negatively assessed the IPC decision, which again raises the issue of collective responsibility, contrary to the Olympic Charter. Social media users also note that the decision was made without relying on facts.
At the same time, the Paralympic team traditionally shows excellent results in many sports.
Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova
On the ban on the participation of Russian Paralympians in the Olympics in Brazil
"How were two decisions taken on the basis of one report?" Member of the Council of Athletes of the International Paralympic Committee Mikhail Terentyev reveals the background of the scandal around our team at the 2016 Games.
The ban on the participation of Russian Paralympians in the Olympics in Brazil sounded like a bolt from the blue: after the IOC de facto allowed the majority of the Olympic team in Rio, such a harsh attitude towards disabled athletes looked at least illogical. Before the Paralympics, of course, there is still time - it will begin in September, so there is a chance to sue such a decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). But what is behind it? Ogonyok asked about this from a member of the Athletes Council of the International Paralympic Committee (RPC), chairman of the All-Russian Society of Disabled People, State Duma deputy and prize-winner of six Paralympics Mikhail Terentyev.
"Spark": - Mikhail Borisovich, what kind of doping can we talk about when they talk about Paralympians - people who sometimes have to constantly take medicine?
Mikhail Terentyev: - People with disabilities who go in for sports of the highest achievements are not infirm people. Disability is not a disease, but a condition of the body. So the Olympic and Paralympic sports differ only in the rules for the classification of athletes. For Paralympians, this means wheelchair users must compete with wheelchair users, and the blind must compete with the blind. But the requirements for doping are the same for the Olympians and for the Paralypians. As well as permission for the therapeutic use of drugs - this is possible only on the recommendation of a doctor in the case when it is vital for the health of the athlete. The procedure for informing WADA about an athlete's medication is also the same.
- Do the lists of prohibited drugs also coincide?
Yes, the list is general, and it is approved by WADA, and the control is carried out by the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee. National committees, including the Russian one (RPC), are deprived of the right to interfere in the process.
- That is, the Russian Paralympians were accused of using doping, and not drugs?
Nothing like this! The accusation concerns not the use of doping by the Paralympians, but the fact that Russia has a state program aimed at the use of prohibited methods and drugs. The West suspects that at the state level, all these violations are hidden from other countries. If it was about doping, athletes would be disqualified on an individual basis on the basis of doping tests. But the Olympic athletes or the entire Russian Paralympic team were removed not because of a positive doping test, but because, according to WADA, the RCC cannot function normally under the current conditions.
- Why was the entire Paralympic team suspended?
That is why the decision of the IPC was such a shock for us! How, according to information from the same report, were two so different decisions made? Absurd!
- But at least some logic is there?
The IOC and the IPC are guided by the following consideration ... Since the sports federations are structurally governed by the sports federations, which submit applications for the Games, in the Olympic system the decision was left at the mercy of these very federations. Paralympians have a different system: there are several summer Olympic sports that the IPC directly administers (for example, athletics, bullet shooting, swimming, powerlifting). Therefore, the decision to remove the Russians had to be taken by the IPC, and they could not get rid of, as the IOC did. And the decision could be only one for the whole team. It was accepted on the basis of data from the report of Richard McLaren (independent expert WADA.- "O"), where it was, I repeat, about the alleged creation of a state system for the use of doping.
- Were there precedents in the history of the Olympic movement?
Suspension of the national team due to doping - no, but there were political accusations against states, for example, in violation of human rights. As were the removal of the national teams by Nazi Germany and South Africa during the apartheid regime. Therefore, the newly created anti-doping commission headed by Vitaly Smirnov proposed that the Russian anti-doping agency be coordinated not by the Ministry of Sport, but by the Ministry of Health. This should break in the imagination of foreigners the imaginary "vertical" of the allegedly existing corruption system of doping.
- And what is the conclusion drawn from what happened?
WADA is in serious need of reform. This is not my thought, but IOC President Thomas Bach. Because the anti-doping rule compliance organization must provide all information in a clear and concise manner at once. And what is in practice? WADA first announces the accusation, and then submits the documents in parts. It seems like a solid organization, but behaves like a card sharper. Until July 18, the IPC made no claims against the RPC. All this time there was an active correspondence. Immediately after November last year, the RPC provided an explanation for the track and field athletes, notifying the IPC that Paralympians train separately from Olympians. At the same time, the IPC was asked if there were any claims, and there were none. And WADA answered the same question in the same way. And suddenly - a report on July 18 with 35 doping tests. We asked to provide at least the names of sports where there are violators, and better their names - silence in response. A week later, they sent a list and immediately showed up themselves: they say, we began to figure it out, out of these 35, 20 people are not your athletes. Okay, we agreed, asked to send the data again only for our athletes. They sent it. Let's look: the list includes, for example, an athlete whose doping test, according to WADA, was changed at the Sochi Olympics. We find out: this athlete was not in Sochi. Further - the list includes "freestyle wrestling" ... We turn to WADA for clarification: what kind of sport is this? Because it is not among the Paralympics. But WADA, apparently, did not even look at the official website of the IOC to find out ... And on August 3, the IPC reported that WADA has either 10 or 19 violators. We wanted to look at the names. They waited, looked: someone had been disqualified for a long time, someone was using drugs for therapeutic purposes, which was announced in a timely manner, and some of the names of nonexistent "heroes" at all, there are no such athletes. I want tough decisions to be made only on the basis of proven data.
- Can the decision of the IPC be appealed?
Such work is already underway. The RPC and the IPC decided to speed up the procedure and file a claim not with a special commission, but with international sports arbitration. It will meet on August 21.
- What role did the desire to eliminate competitors for medals play in the decision to remove Russian Paralympic athletes?
I cannot answer this question, because the answer will be from the category of speculation. But you yourself can draw conclusions if you analyze the number of medals received by our Paralympic team in Sochi, London, and ask how Great Britain itself was in third place ... Of course, Phil Craven (IPC President - "O") you will not say that he was guided in making a decision by such motives. But there is a moment that can indirectly confirm your guess ... Several years ago, the program of the Summer Games was analyzed, the criteria on the basis of which the sports were selected for the Games in Rio were determined. Thus, football for persons with cerebral palsy in Brazil will be held for the last time. He has already been excluded from the Tokyo 2020 Games program due to the fact that there are few teams. Probably a coincidence, but for 15 years now medals in this sport have been alternately received by either the Russian or the Ukrainian teams. There is a kind of competition when amputees push the core ... Our Alexey Ashapatov was in the lead several times, and in Rio this discipline is excluded - there are few athletes. It is difficult to prove anything because the IPC has its own arguments - they advocate that Paralympic sport be more competitive.
We know that 50 percent of the Anti-Doping Agency is funded from the IOC, and the other half comes from some independent sources. But what are these sources and how much do they influence decision making?
- Will the suspended Paralympians submit to the courts?
First, we will wait for the verdict of sports arbitration and read its wording. If the verdict is negative, of course, they will submit. Athletes, on the other hand, prepared, spent effort, money, time. But first you have to deal with the facts. And then with WADA to understand how independently they make decisions. We know that 50 percent of the Anti-Doping Agency is funded from the IOC, and the other half comes from some independent sources. But what are these sources and how much do they influence decision making? I personally have not heard of the IPC funding WADA.
- Are the Paralympic Games really in their prime right now?
Yes, and, in my opinion, this is largely due to the enormous social role of the Games. They are changing society. Looking at how the Paralympians perform, people understand that if disabled people have such potential in sports, then it can be in all spheres of life. Games are watched by 3 billion people. And this affects everyone who is in the stadiums and in front of the screens: first of all, other disabled people who sit at home and are afraid to leave it. Not to mention the fact that only those states that can create an "accessible environment" in the cities of their holding are allowed to receive an application to host the Paralympic Games. Local disabled people also benefit from this, not only athletes and participants in the Games.
- Russian Olympians are booed in Rio. Should the Paralympians be so stressed?
I agree that such an attitude is stressful for any athlete. Of course, in Russia there is no such thing, but in Rio there is a different information space, where all events are presented differently. Unsurprisingly, viewers react this way. But it would be correct, perhaps, only for officials to refuse a trip to Rio. For 268 members of our Paralympic team, who had been preparing for 4 years, passed a tough selection (there were twice as many applicants), participated in the World and European Championships, this would be a failure. How can you deprive them of their well-deserved struggle?
Must go! Novaya Gazeta calls on the world media to support Russian Paralympians
Appeal of the editorial board of "Novaya Gazeta" to foreign colleagues
Dear Colleagues! This letter is addressed to you, journalists and editors of the world's largest media outlets. We have known each other for a long time. We are linked by a long-term cooperation relationship. Our materials were often printed on your pages - you know very well that our editorial position, to put it mildly, differs from the official one. Novaya Gazeta is a laureate of many awards. This year, you colleagues have awarded us the Golden Pen Freedom Award, established by the World Newspaper Publishers Association (WAN-IFRA). This gives us the right to turn to you for support in the cause of our Paralympic team.
The Russian Paralympic team will be suspended from participation in the Games. The verdict was announced by the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Philip Craven, and can only be appealed in court. If the verdict remains in effect, it will not be a blow to either the Russian authorities or specific anti-doping law violators. This will be a blow to innocent athletes. According to their family and friends. For everyone who sees hope and a living force of example in the Paralympic Movement. It will be a blow to us, the journalists of Novaya Gazeta: we are responsible for those whom we sincerely and actively help.
We are well aware that the purity of the Paralympic movement is subject to many temptations - in the image and likeness of high performance sports.
We understand that in the process of "racing for medals" there could be violations. Perhaps even systemic, although the evidence base does not correspond to the globality of the conclusions of the World Anti-Doping Agency commission led by Richard McLaren and, most importantly, the targeting and severity of punishment.
The International Olympic Committee has recognized that clean athletes should not be automatically responsible for the sins of their individual colleagues, and even more so for the sins of the state. It is nonsense to admit that disabled athletes should bear more responsibility than athletes admitted to the current Games. And you should know: thanks to just one Paralympian, there is an entire urban area with a barrier-free environment. This is life in Russia.
We know many Paralympic athletes, including the winners and medalists of the Paralympic Games. Most of them are people of exceptional courage, unbending will and honesty. We admit, however, that unscrupulous athletes, victims of the ambitions of officials, could appear in this environment as well. But this cannot be a reason for the total punishment of all participants in the Russian Paralympic team preparing for the September Games in Rio. It should be understood that for most of them, sports are almost the only light in the window. If you close it, the inevitability of many, many individual tragedies is obvious.
But no less scary is that the consequences of such a step are absolutely not calculated. To believe that the isolation of Russian Paralympians will change the current Russian government is an evil utopia.
Sports triumphs cannot be the main indicator of a country's greatness. It will take a long time for Russia to understand this simple truth. But isolation is unlikely to accelerate this path. Especially if the ban directly affects the most vulnerable category of athletes.
Mikhail Gorbachev, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, shareholder of Novaya Gazeta, joins our request to admit the Russian Paralympic team to the Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Continued: The Russian Paralympic Committee has begun raising funds to protect the interests of the national team in international sports arbitration
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/sports/74180.html
The entire Russian national team has been suspended from the Paralympic Games in Rio. This decision was made by the International Paralympic Committee, conducting investigations after the publication of a report on doping in Russia. UPS This decision was later confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, making it final.
The official announcement is published on the website of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The International Paralympic Committee immediately suspended the powers of the Russian Paralympic Committee due to its inability to fulfill its duties and obligations, in particular to meet the anti-doping standards of the International Paralympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Code.
It says that the decision was made after studying the report of the head of the independent commission of the International Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Richard McLaren, who stated that doping samples were changed from 2011 to 2015 with the participation of the FSB, the Ministry of Sports and anti-doping laboratories.
We will remind, the Russian Olympic athletes were barred from participation in the Olympic Games in Rio earlier. Nevertheless, the International Olympic Committee, but put forward a number of conditions.
At the same time, the report mentioned at least 35 positive doping tests by the athletes of the Paralympic team. Then an investigation was carried out, as a result of which the International Olympic Committee found information on 45 doping tests of 44 athletes, which were in fact positive. Further, it was necessary to establish what sport 44 athletes belonged to (it was not possible to identify the 45th sample so far). It turned out that 17 of them are not Paralympic. The remaining 27 belong to eight types of Paralympic sports: five of them are summer sports, three more are winter sports.
The International Paralympic Committee also claims that doping tests were also swapped during the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi. Recall that Russia then took first place in the overall medal standings with a wide margin from the second place.
The message also states that the Russian side was given the opportunity to defend its position both in writing and in person. Russia can appeal within 21 days, that is, until August 28.
I believe that the Russian authorities have let down their Paralympic athletes a lot. The position is disgusting to me - medals over morality. I am very sympathetic to the Paralympic athletes who will miss these Games in Rio. All of them turned out to be part of a broken system, and we sincerely hope that the changes that must occur will take place, ”the words of the head of the IPC Philip Craven are quoted in the message.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted to the decision. Representative of the department Maria Zakharova about her indignation
