Swiss court to consider Russian Paralympic panel’s appeal

Russian Federation was given a total ban from competing by the IPC following allegations of state-sponsored doping.

On Wednesday, the Swiss Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from the Russian Paralympic Committee to allow its athletes to compete in the Rio Games, which run from September 7-18.

Artyom Patsev, a Russian sports lawyer, has said on the court’s decision that is was predictable and it was senseless for Russia to file an appeal.

Last week the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport’s highest tribunal, rejected a Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) appeal against the IPC suspension. “The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Thursday (1 September) that it will not allow individual Russian athletes to participate as neutral athletes at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games”, the statement from the IPC said, reports Tass.

The IPC, according to information gathered by the GNA Sports, has offered to purchase air tickets for three athletes and two technical officials to enable them fly to Brasil, to participate in the games, since the team is yet to receive funding from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS).

In short, the ineligibility of Russian athletes for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games is the inevitable effect of the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee. Russian Federation appealed the CAS ruling in the Swiss Federal Supreme Court but that appeal was also rejected. “Tragically, however, the Russian authorities have denied their athletes this chance through their actions”, Xavier Gonzalez, the IPC’s chief executive officer, was quoted as saying in the press release.