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                                                                                                       SPORTS Tuesday 24 december 2019
























            Norway's Rasmus Windingstad celebrates on the podium after
            winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup parallel giant slalom, in
            Alta Badia, Italy, Monday, Dec. 23, 2019
            Norway's Windingstad


            wins parallel GS                                          Chair of the Compliance Review Committee (CRC) Jonathan Taylor speaks during a press con-


            event for career first                                    ference after the WADA's extraordinary Executive Committee (ExCo) on the Russian doping data
                                                                      manipulation, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
                                                                                                                                            Associated Press
            ALTA  BADIA,  Italy  (AP)  —  Kranjska  Gora,  Slovenia,
            Norway's  Rasmus  Winding-   last season.                 AP Interview: WADA lawyer
            stad  won  a  men's  World  Windingstad  became  the
            Cup  parallel  giant  slalom  fifth different winner in the   defends no blanket ban on Russians
            night  race  on  Monday  for  five parallel GS events held
            his first career victory.    in  Alta  Badia  since  2015,
            Windingstad defeated Ste-    after Kjetil Jansud, Cyprien   By ROB HARRIS              Scott,  for  a  complete  pro-  posed that saw some Rus-
            fan  Luitz  of  Germany  by  Sarrazin,  Matts  Olsson  and   AP Sports Writer          hibition  on  Russians  from  sians barred from compet-
            0.41 seconds in the final of  Marcel Hirscher.            LONDON  (AP)  —  Expelling  competing  after  Moscow  ing  at  the  2016  Rio  de  Ja-
            the event, which sees two  Roland  Leitinger  of  Austria   all Russians from the Olym-  was  found  to  have  tam-  neiro  Summer  Games  and
            competitors  race  side-by-  beat Windingstad's Norwe-    pics would have been dis-    pered with doping data as  2018  Pyeongchang  Winter
            side  on  identical,  short-  gian teammate Leif Kristian   proportionate  and  risked  recently as January. A Brit-  Games.
            ened giant slalom courses,  Nestvold-Haugen  for  third   being  overturned  in  court,  ish  member  of  the  athlete  "We have to be careful as
            with  run  times  just  over  20  place.                  according  to  the  lawyer  panel  quit  on  Thursday  in  well,  because  those  who
            seconds.                     Pinturault  could  have  be-  facing  mounting  criticism  protest,  with  former  Para-  say  it  should  be  blanket
            It was his sixth top-10 result,  come the first male Alpine   for overseeing a World An-  lympic  rower  Victoria  Ag-  ban  ...  it'll  be  thrown  out
            and second podium finish,  skier  to  win  a  World  Cup   ti-Doping  Agency  decision  gar saying WADA prioritized  in  court,"  said  Taylor,  who
            since  coming  runner-up  in  race in six of the seven dif-  not  to  impose  a  total  ban  "politics over principle."  chaired  WADA's  compli-
            a  regular  giant  slalom  in  ferent disciplines.q       on Russia for a fresh cover-  "Should it have been stron-  ance  review  committee.
                                                                      up.                          ger? Well, I would say … it  "We have to focus on what
                                                                      Jonathan     Taylor,   who  was the appropriate line to  happened in 2018 and '19.
            Clijsters targets March                                   chaired  a  WADA  commit-    draw," Taylor told the AP on  That  was  the  cover  up  of
                                                                      tee  that  determined  the  Thursday.
                                                                                                                                the cover up of the original
            return 7 years after retiring                             punishment     announced  "You  should  not  punish  in-  doping."
                                                                      Monday,  told  The  Associ-
                                                                                                   nocent athletes. So it's not  Russia,  which  spent  $50
                                                                      ated  Press  in  an  interview  as  if  there's  some  over-  billion-plus  on  hosting  the
            BRUSSELS  (AP)  —  Kim  Cli-  she  tore  a  ligament  in  her   that  only  banning  Russia's  whelming  voice  that  says,  2014  Sochi  Olympics,  is
            jsters plans to make her de-  right knee.                 flag,  name  and  anthem  'No  you've  got  this  com-    now  banned  by  WADA
            layed comeback to tennis  "I am really pleased with my    from major sports competi-   pletely wrong.'"             from hosting major sporting
            at  the  Monterrey  Open  in  progress and it's been great   tions  "was  the  appropriate  Russia  could  still  appeal  events.
            March,  more  than  seven  to  get  back  on  the  court   line to draw."              the  decision  to  the  Court  "The  idea  that  somehow
            years  after  her  second  re-  and play tennis again," Cli-  WADA  ruled  that  Russian  of  Arbitration  for  Sport.  If  this is a weak proposal, I just
            tirement.                    jsters  said  in  a  statement.   athletes will still be able to  that leads  to a lengthy le-  don't  accept,"  Taylor  said.
            Clijsters  said  on  Monday  "It's been a setback but has   compete  at  international  gal battle, the punishment  "Russia  will  feel  the  pain
            she  accepted  wild  cards  really  shown  me  how  de-   sports  events  if  they  can  could  be  pushed  back  to  from  those  consequences.
            into  the  Mexican  hard-    termined I  am  to return to   show  they  are  clean  and  cover the 2024 Paris Olym-  ...  Ayone  who  says  to  me
            court  event  which  begins  the game I love."            not  implicated  in  a  state-  pics  instead  of  the  Tokyo  Russia  doesn't  care  about
            on  March  2,  followed  by  WTA  rules  allow  her,  as  a   sponsored doping scheme.  Games.                      this,  this  is  a  sham,  they
            Indian Wells from March 11,  past  Grand  Slam  cham-     However,  Taylor  also  said  "If they drag it out so that it  laugh this off — I don't ac-
            then  the  Charleston  clay  pion,  to  receive  unlimited   the punishment should not  doesn't  cover  Tokyo,  it  will  cept them."
            tournament from April 6.     wild-card invitations to tour-  lead to the moniker "Olym-  cover  Paris,"  Taylor  said.  But  the  ban  on  hosting
            The former No. 1 and four-   naments and, as someone      pic Athlete from Russia" be-  "They have to decide which  events  does  not  impact
            time major champion, who  who is older than 30, to opt    ing used in Tokyo like it was  we want to do, which ath-  St.  Petersburg  staging  four
            already is a member of the  out of mandatory appear-      at  the  2018  Winter  Olym-  letes they want to suffer."  games at the 2020 Europe-
            International  Tennis  Hall  ances at certain events.     pics.                        The  tampering  of  data  an Championship and the
            of  Fame,  announced  her  The 36-year-old Clijsters left   The WADA executive com-    happened  when  Russia  2021  Champions  League
            comeback attempt in Sep-     the  tour  in  2007  and  got   mittee  on  Monday  reject-  was  meant  to  be  on  the  final,  because  European
            tember. Her plans were de-   married and had the first of   ed  calls  led  by  its  athlete  path to cleaning up its act  soccer  body  UEFA  is  not
            layed  in  November  when  her three children. q          committee  chair,  Beckie  after  sanctions  were  im-    bound by the ruling.q
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