BONN, GERMANY (AP) – Russia and its ally Belarus have had their suspension from membership of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) overturned on appeal but their athletes remain barred from competing in IPC-run events.
The IPC said yesterday that its independent appeals tribunal had ruled that the IPC membership should have considered more evidence before voting to suspend the two countries’ national Paralympic organisations in November, following the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
The IPC said the tribunal decision on Wednesday was taken on a “technicality” and that some of the evidence the tribunal heard wasn’t available when the vote was taken last year. IPC President Andrew Parsons called the ruling “a decision we certainly respect, but disagree with”.
The issue is now set to be considered again by IPC members in September.
That meeting was already expected to consider the IPC’s approach to Russian and Belarusian athletes in preparations for the Paralympics in Paris next year.
The tribunal decision doesn’t overturn the IPC’s policy of not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to enter competitions in six sports it governs directly.
Those include track and field, ice hockey and swimming.
