Rio 2016 Paralympics: Russian Officials 'Should Apologize' To Banned Athletes

Craig Spence
Craig Spence at the Rio Media Center, Rio de Janeiro, August 7. Spence believes Russian athletes are owed an apology by officials from the country. Joe Scarnici/Getty

Russian Paralympians banned from competing in Rio next month are owed an apology by the country's officials, according to a member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Craig Spence, of the IPC, believes the 267 members of the Russian team are owed an apology from those officials found to have led the doping.

"We feel great sympathy for those athletes," Spence told the BBC. "But I think the apology needs to come from those who are leading this state-sponsored doping programme in Russia."

The McLaren Report, published in July, uncovered state-sponsored doping in Russia that led to the IPC implementing a blanket ban for the Games.

The decision to ban Russia was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday after an appeal was lodged.

The Paralympics begins on September 7.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go