Paralympic ban 'inhumane'

Photo: The Canadian Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked the ban on his country from the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics as immoral and inhumane on Thursday.

Russia was suspended on Aug. 7 over what International Paralympic Committee president Philip Craven called a "medals over morals" culture with evidence of state-sponsored doping. The ban was confirmed Tuesday when the Court of Arbitration of Sport rejected a Russian appeal.

"The decision to disqualify our Paralympians is outside the bounds of law, morality and humanity," Putin said at an award ceremony for Olympic athletes at the Kremlin. He called the ruling against Russia "cynical" and claimed that "it even humiliates those who take such decisions."

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added to the criticism, calling the ban "collective responsibility for an unproven crime." While Russia has accepted there were some shortcomings in its anti-doping system, it insists drug use was not systemic or supported by the government.

The Paralympics start Sept. 7.

Special competitions will be organized in Russia for banned Paralympic athletes with winners getting the same prizes they would have had from success in Rio, Putin said. Russia awards cash prizes to Olympic and Paralympic medallists and gave out dozens of BMW luxury cars to its Olympic medallists Thursday.

Putin also attacked what he said was political manipulation of sport directed against Russia, whose team was reduced to a single athlete in track and field and banned entirely from weightlifting at the Olympics. That came after World Anti-Doping Agency investigations detailed widespread doping and evidence that senior sports ministry officials allegedly covered up hundreds of doping cases.

"You came through a tough test with honour," Putin told a room full of Olympic gold medallists . "We know how difficult it was for our athletes in Rio. Ahead of the competition, the team was cut by almost a third, and was deprived of the chance to show what it can do in sports where Russia is traditionally considered one of the favourites. But our team, you, my friends, coped with all the difficulties, competed as a united team."