This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
On the heels of a four-year doping ban imposed on Russia by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the head of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, has called for clear guidance on Russia's participation in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Published on December 10, 2019, Parsons expressed his concerns in an interview with AFP, stating that it was 'disgusting' that authorities had allegedly tampered with doping samples.
Under the sanctions, Russian sportsmen and women will still be allowed to compete at the Olympics and Paralympics, but only as neutrals and only if they can demonstrate that they were not part of what WADA believes was a state-sponsored system of doping.
Parsons emphasized that the decision would ultimately be a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision, and that the IPC would need to react quickly, as the Games are just four months away.
He also expressed his desire for a clear path forward on the participation of Russian athletes, stating, 'What we want is for the decision to be clear in the sense that there will be a clear path... on what will be the participation of Russian athletes -- if any?'
Parsons' comments come after WADA released documents showing that Russian authorities had allegedly tampered with doping data, which 'materially prejudiced the ability to pursue cases against 145 of the 298 athletes' with suspicious doping controls between 2011 and 2015.
Meanwhile, Parsons also addressed concerns over the summer heat in Tokyo, stating that it was 'very unlikely' the Paralympics would follow suit and shift the marathon venue, which was moved 800 kilometers north to Sapporo due to heat concerns.
He noted that the IPC medical committee had concluded it would be safe for Paralympic athletes to compete, and that officials were hopeful the worst of the Tokyo heat would be over by the time of the Games.
