Athletes force a change in ban of Russians at Paralympics

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

Athletes around the world cheered when leaders of the Paralympics booted Russia from the Games. The tipping point to the rapid turn of events Thursday was “a very, very volatile environment” in the athletes village in Beijing at the Paralympics, according to the head of that organization. The International Paralympic Committee was faced with the very real possibility that athletes might simply pick up and go home before their Games start Friday. To prevent that, it made an abrupt about-face and chose to ban the Russian and Belarusian Paralympic teams that, previously, were being allowed to compete under a neutral flag.