IPC to lift ban on Russia paralympics

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will provisionally lift the ban on Russian para-athletes competing in the Paralympics, next month.

The ban was imposed in 2016 when the World Anti-Doping Agency-commissioned Mclaren report found out that Russia had run a state-sponsored doping program. Consequently, Russian Para athletes were barred from participating in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

IPC President Andrew Parsons, while talking about the decision, said that the suspension is "no longer necessary and proportionate," CNN reported.

The Russian Paralympics Committee (RPC) had implemented 69 out of 70 reinstatement measures that included a robust testing program of Russian athletes under the WADA supervision, requested by the IPC to prove it is "now a very different organization to the one that it was prior to Rio 2016," Parsons continued.

Parsons said the board had to decide between waiting for "a very unlikely Russian response" to the McLaren Report or "find another way forward" to ensure the RPC's compliance with the IPC."The Board chose the latter and decided to lift the suspension under strict conditions," he said.

The conditions include allowing the relevant bodies to conduct anti-doping activities in Russia. RPC also needs to provide the progress report every six months.