Russians heading home; reserve right to later legal action
The Russian Paralympic Committee says its delegation will leave Beijing and has no immediate plans for legal action
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Russian Paralympic Committee will leave Beijing and has no immediate plans for legal action.
The RPC issued a statement Friday criticizing the decision to exclude Russian athletes from the Paralympics and said the move was "absolutely politicized.” It said its lawyers had determined that the Court of Arbitration for Sport would not be able to render a decision “during the accelerated proceedings.”
The RPC said it reserved “the right to apply to the appropriate international and national court” later at its own discretion. It said it was not “worthwhile at the current time to remain in Beijing" and planned to leave. The team is expected to fly out on Sunday.
The RPC also criticized International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, who earlier this week recommended that “international sports federations and sports event organizers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.”
It said Bach's move lead “to the degradation and collapse of the world sport.”
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports