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Russian team banned from Paralympics, but some will compete
FILE: Flag of Russia (Photo by Public Domain)
BONN, Germany — Russia’s team has been banned from the upcoming Pyeongchang Paralympics because of its doping past.
The International Paralympic Committee says about 35 Russians will be allowed to compete in five sports as neutral athletes at the games, which run from March 8-18.
That mirrors the situation for next month’s Olympics. The Russian team has been barred, but 169 Russians have been invited to compete.
It will be the second Paralympics without a Russian team.
The country was also excluded from the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in 2016.
The IPC had demanded that Russian officials must accept or disprove the findings of investigations which detailed widespread doping in multiple sports and the covering up of failed doping tests.
The Russian government denies ever supporting any doping programs.
