Paralympics again in question

The International Paralympic Committee (MPC) refused the Russian Paralympic Committee to restore the membership of the organization and admission of athletes to international competitions. This was announced on September 6 by the President of the Ministry ofPasures of the Ministry ofPasures of Philip Craven.

This more than a serious statement was made by him at a decisive moment - about six months remains before the winter games in Pyeongchang. Meanwhile, President of the PCR Vladimir Lukin recently announced that most of the requirements of the "road map" for the RCC have been fulfilled.

The membership of the RCD was suspended on August 17, 2016 on the basis of intermediate conclusions of the commission of the World Anti -Doping Agency (WADA), headed by Professor Richard McLaren. As a result of this, Russia was unable to take part in the Paralympic Games in Brazilian Rio de Janeiro in 2016 , while receiving a “road map” for its rehabilitation. Among the requirements of the IPC to restore the membership of the RCC there was a restoration of the rights of the Russian anti -doping agency (Rusada), which was also devoid of accreditation after the report of McLaren.

It should be noted that the PKR itself does not have the opportunity to influence the restoration of the Russad in its rights. Vladimir Lukin reminded his colleagues from the MPC. At the same time, Rusad on June 27 was admitted to testing and planning doping tests under the observation of the British anti-doping agency. Most of the requirements of the "road map" for the RCC were fulfilled. But this did not help restore membership in the International Paralympic Committee.

On September 3 and 4, the management body of the Ministry of PSSR during its meetings in the capital of the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi, based on the documents provided by the PCR on the implementation of the recovery criteria, decided whether Russia should return membership in the International Paralympic Movement. As a result, it was precisely on these days that a decision was made on the fate of the Russian Paralympicians, but his announcement was postponed until September 6, when Congress of the MPC was held in Abu Dhabi.

In the process of announcing the verdict, there is nothing extraordinary and even new - the situation developed in the same way in May 2017, when the MPC decided the last time whether to restore the PCR in its rights. Then the case was considered at a meeting in the Spanish Barcelona, and the decision was announced at the Planned Congress of the Ministry of State Pedagogical Code in the capital of Great Britain London two days later. Then it was also negative.

Despite Lukin’s words that the PCR working group admitted that the PCR actually solved the task of fulfilling obligations to correct the situation with doping, Russian Paralympicians still cannot take part in international competitions, including Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeenchkhan, which will be held in 2018.

And although, in general, the Russian delegation still has the chances of going to Pyeongchang’s games, some of the athletes made a decision even deprives theoretical chances of getting to the games. The next consideration of the situation with the PCR will not be held earlier than in October-November, and many Russian athletes, and so missing the last entire winter season, simply will not have time to get paralympic licenses for participation in the games.

Russian Paralympicians still cannot take part in international competitions, including the Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, which will be held in 2018

The International Paralympic Committee, however, had previously promised that he would meet Russian athletes, simplifying the process of obtaining paralympic licenses in the event of the restoration of the PCR, but in fact, even if this happens, the mechanism for such actions has not yet been developed.

True, Philip Craven said that in four sports-biathlon, snowboarding, skiing and skiing-Russian Paralympicians can now take part in international competitions under a neutral flag and thus gain licenses in Pheshkhan-2018.

Russian Minister of Sports Pavel Kolobkov said: “We are now considering this decision. We were ready, including for such a scenario. In the near future we will analyze this information and develop a common position.” These words are given by the R-Sport agency, noting that for most members of the commission that made the decision, this action became the last in the PCR-September 8, the management body of the Committee will be significantly changed as a result of the elections. For example, he will put up powers and leave the post of president himself Craven, whose deadline at the head of the organization has expired. Instead, a new president of the organization will be elected at Congress in Abu Dhabi. True, for Russia this is unlikely to turn into good consequences, at least immediately. On November 16, a meeting of the WADA founders' Council in Seoul is scheduled, and there will already be considered the issue of bringing into a compliance with the Code of the World Agency of Russia.

There is hope that if this process is successful for Russia, then the chances of recovering in rights in the RCC will increase significantly. For example, the head of the working group MPC Andy Parkinson, in a press release from the organization, also expressed satisfaction with the work done by the RCD.

“The working group is inspired by the steps that the PCR and the constructive dialogue between the working group of the MPC and the Coordinating Committee of the PCR. The working group is especially satisfied with the latest progress achieved in the field of anti -doping education, launching the Anti -Doping Education and various improvements and development in the field of testing,” Parkinson noted.

Meanwhile, the first vice-president of the Paralympic Committee of Russia Oleg Smolin said that the PCR fulfilled all the conditions of the International Paralympic Committee, and also noted that with any development of events, the Russian team will go to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeenchkhan in part.

“This is half a step forward with the promised ten promised ten. The MPC put a certain number of conditions to our committee. The PCR fulfilled everything that he could. He could not fulfill the requirement of the restoration of the Russad, since it did not depend on the committee, and could not fulfill the requirement of the state of the McLaren report, since the PCR is not a state. When we met in Bonn with representatives of the IMC, we were told, we were told, we were told. That additional quotas will be allocated for Russian athletes, but as I understand it, this is not about this, and therefore it is not at all the fact that the declared possibility of speaking under a neutral flag will be implemented, because at this moment the vast majority of quotas are already distributed, however, the qualification competitions are still ongoing.

I continue to hold my previous opinion. We have a situation with a gross violation of human rights, because athletes with disabilities are appointed responsible for the unproven sins of the state.

If Rusad is restored on November 15, then theoretically, the decision to return the rights of the RCD. But there is already a big question about how many athletes will be able to get to the Paralympics by that time. It is possible that the PKR will be restored in rights, but this will give little athletes. But no matter how the events are developing now, even in the most favorable way, Russia will not be able to perform in Pyeongchang in full composition. A full -fledged participation is almost impossible in any form - under a neutral flag or under the flag of Russia, ”said Oleg Smolin.