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Appeal denied: Russian athletes officially banned from Paralympics

Restrictions are officially even more severe for Russia’s Paralympians than the country’s Olympians.

Following the McLaren report’s exposure of a state-sponsored Russian doping program, the International Olympic Committee still cleared 278 Russians for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but the International Paralympic Committee wasn’t so kind, completely banning the country’s competitors.

Upon the Russian Paralympic Committee’s appeal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the IPC’s decision Tuesday, according to BBC. Russia will be excluded when the Paralympics begin Sept. 7.

The IOC came under fire after turning over the fate of Russian Olympians to the federations for each individual sport, rather than follow the World Anti-Doping Agency’s recommendation of a full ban. The Russians claimed 56 medals at the Olympics, including 19 gold, to finish fourth in the medal count.

[Related: Possibly fearful of Putin retaliation, IOC does not ban Russia from Rio Olympics]

The Switzerland-based CAS also ruled on Russian appeals of rulings for individual sports at the Olympics, upholding complete bans of weightlifters and track and field competitors, for example. On the other hand, the CAS did overturn the ban of Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova upon appeal.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Yulia Efimova of Russia reacts after the Women's 100m Breaststroke Final on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Yulia Efimova of Russia reacts after the Women’s 100m Breaststroke Final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Getty Images)

The IPC, however, banned all 267 potential Russian Paralympians from next month’s events in Rio, and the CAS concluded Russian officials offered no factual argument to dispute the IPC’s ruling, per BBC.

“It is a sad day for the Paralympic movement,” IPC president Philip Craven told BBC. “But we hope also a new beginning. We hope this decision acts as a catalyst for change in Russia and we can welcome the Russian Paralympic Committee back as a member safe in the knowledge that it is fulfilling its obligations to ensure fair competition for all.”

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev went so far as to describe the ruling to BBC as an attempt to “squeeze out strong competitors” and “a blow to all people with disabilities, not just Russians.”

Likewise, Russian parliamentary sports committee chair Dmitry Svishchev told the country’s state-sponsored Tass news outlet, “Whatever this court is called, it is an inhumane court. One can punish officials, coaches, but by no means should athletes be punished: when looking at what they do in spite of hardships and strain, one wants to pull off their hat. Such people should only be respected.”