Sochi can't be forgotten when deciding on Russia, says Paralympic presidential candidate

Record ID: 896599

  • Title: Sochi can't be forgotten when deciding on Russia, says Paralympic presidential candidate
  • Date: 22nd June 2017
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 22, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, SAYING: "The Russian Federation and the Russian Paralympic Committee, they know the steps that they have to take until September because in September we have a Governing Board meeting and in this meeting we can decide if we lift the suspension or not, as it was the case in the last Governing Board, when we have decided that they were not ready yet for being reinstated. So, of course if we decide in September that they're not ready to come back as a full member it will be difficult for the Russian athletes to compete in Pyeongchang. We don't want that to happen. We want the Russian athletes back but of course what happened in Sochi, in the lead-up to Sochi cannot be forgotten, and we have to respect not also the rights the of the Russian para-athletes but also the rights of all the other athletes in the world to compete on a level playing field." PARSONS SPEAKING JOURNALISTS LISTENING JOURNALIST WRITING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, TALKING ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO ANNOUNCE THE HOSTS OF THE 2024 AND 2028 GAMES AT THE SAME TIME, SAYING: "Well I think this is something that... up to this moment it is something that we have to ask Sir Philip, he's still the president, but from a personal point of view I like the concept, and I think we have two cities with fantastic projects, fantastic projects also for the Paralympic Games. So if the IOC decides to take on that approach in the Extraordinary Session that they have, it's something that from a personal point of view definitely I'm going to support. If elected IPC president then it's something I'd like the organisation to support." PARSONS HANDS / PARSONS TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, SAYING: "I think it's something I'd like the IPC voters to remember is that what I have done in Brazil - and I think I really done a good job - not alone of course but I led a team of very good people. We have many good professionals and volunteers in the Paralympic movement across the world but when you lead them in a very good way you can achieve better results. And it's what I did in Brazil and it's what I would like to do in the IPC but of course in a national environment is one thing, international environment is a completely different thing but I have been in the international environment for a while. I have chaired some committees in the IPC, I'm the current vice president, I played a key role in the Rio 2016 Games so I think I'm prepared and up to that challenge." PARSONS SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, SAYING: "I come from a developing country and I know what someone coming from the outside, or the leader of a big international organisation, help to open doors and build bridges on the international level so I think this is something very important in the role of the IPC president to do that." PARSONS SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, SAYING: "Well, we have we are working... Of course we learn, we learn with the Rio 2016 experience. We are working with Pyeongchang, we are working with the IOC so that we can have a situation in Pyeongchang different from the situation faced in Rio - they had challenges of course, any host organising committee they have challenges but I think they have different challenges from the challenges we have faced in Rio so we will not have that situation again. And I think that for Tokyo to be a completely different environment. I think that the Games in Tokyo will be spectacular. Of course we had the lessons learnt from Rio de Janeiro, we will not let that situation happen. We will monitor in a different way, we will work with the levels of government in a different way and with the organising committee in a different way." PARSONS SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ANDREW PARSONS, SAYING: "Well we are working very closely with the organising committee. Of course they need to do some more work in terms of promoting ticket sales. They have this situation with North Korea so it's something I'd say that is bigger than sport but we are working with them, we have a big experience in Rio and in Sochi. Normally the Paralympic tickets they are sold, I would say in the last few weeks before the Games so we are confident that this is going to happen but we're not only relying on that. We are working with Pyeongchang so that we can promote more the Paralympic event and that we can have better international sales but also more tickets sold in Korea as well." PARSONS SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA PARSONS LISTENING TO A REPORTER'S QUESTION VARIOUS OF PARSONS SPEAKING
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2017 13:30
  • Keywords: Paralympics IPC Russia Pyeongchang 2024 2028 Andrew Parsons
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016MD12KF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Russia has until September to prove it has made the necessary reforms to participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) presidential candidate Andrew Parsons said on Thursday (June 22).
    Last year the independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report compiled by Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren showed more than 1,000 Russian competitors across more than 30 sports were involved in an institutional conspiracy to conceal positive drug tests over the course of five years.
    The report provided exhaustive evidence of an elaborate doping scheme sponsored by Russia's Sports Ministry leading up to the Sochi Winter Olympics.
    The IPC banned the Russian Paralympic Committee from participating in the 2016 Rio Games and Parsons, the current IPC vice-president, said the doping scheme could not be forgotten and there would need to be substantial evidence provided when the IPC Governing Board meets in September.
    Parsons, who stepped down as the president of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee last month, stressed that he wanted the Russian athletes to compete but only if the necessary measures have been taken by the Russian authorities.
    Parsons, who was instrumental in the 2016 Rio Paralympics being seen as a success, said he was in favour of the hosts of the 2024 and 2028 Games being named this September if the International Olympic Committee goes ahead with the vote.
    The Brazilian also said the IPC had learnt a lot from hosting the 2016 Rio Games and they would try to avoid the financial and logistical problems in Pyeongchang and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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