INSIDE THE GAMES – The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has claimed no further payments will be made to Belarus after the country demanded up to $500,000 (£388,000/€447,000) in compensation following a decision to ban some of its competitors from last year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Belarus were banned by the ICF for a year in July due to doping allegations, but in January this was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
It was ruled that there was “insufficient evidence” surrounding several of the allegations made against the Belarus team.
The verdict came too late for athletes, who missed Rio 2016.
Only female paddlers from Belarus were allowed to compete at the Games following the alleged doping offences.
According to the country’s official Government news agency BelTA, the Belarus National Olympic Committee (NOC RB) are now seeking damages for the prize money they could have earned at Rio 2016, as well as the cost of training the team over four years.
This sum is estimated between $400,000 and $500,000, the news agency said, with the governing body now awaiting reply from the ICF after sending a letter of complaint.
Continue reading on Inside the Games
