LONDON (AP) — Russia faces being kicked out of the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in the latest disciplinary action by a sports body infuriated at growing evidence about the country's state-sponsored doping program.
The International Paralympic Committee's decision Friday to start suspension proceedings against Russia came two days before IOC leaders decide whether to exclude the country's entire team from the Olympics next month in Brazil.
The IPC's strong condemnation of Russia's years of doping deception, including the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, pulls back on the support it gave the country last month. It follows the publication of a World Anti-Doping Agency investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren into Russia's state-backed doping which found samples from Paralympic athletes were made to disappear or were swapped.