Paralympics-Now Russia banned from 2018 Winter Games

By Dmitriy Rogovitskiy MOSCOW, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Russia, already suspended from next month's Rio Paralympics, have also been banned for the winter edition in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 because of a state-sponsored sports doping programme. The Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) announced the latest punishment handed out by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Monday. "The decision taken by the IPC, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Russian Paralympians being excluded from the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has also been extended to include the Winter Games in 2018 in Pyeongchang," the RPC said on their website (www.paralymp.ru). Last week the Lausanne-based CAS, sport's highest tribunal, rejected an RPC appeal against the Rio ban. The decision to exclude Russia's team means at least 260 competitors from the country are now set to miss the Sept. 7-18 Paralympics. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)