Kazan remains the host of World Mixed Curling Championships
Kazan will hold the international curling competition regardless the Olympic Committee's suggestions to 'seek alternative hosts' for the winter sport championships. The statement was made after publishing the McLaren Report, which caused a massive doping scandal around the Russian athletes. Despite that fact, the World Curling Federation decided to keep the championship in the capital of Tatarstan, hoping on the full cooperation with Russian Curling Federation to provide the clean sport.
Despite the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Executive board to 'freeze preparations' for hosting any international sport event in Russia, the World Mixed Curling Championships is to be held in Kazan next month, reports insidethegames.
The recommendations from IOC were issued this July after the publication of the McLaren Independent Investigations Report, which stated the existence of a government-supported doping scheme applied at many major sport events such as the Olympic Games 2014. However, the International Biathlon Union declared earlier this month that Tyumen was chosen to host the 2021 World Championships. This news caused criticism from the related public figures and mass-media.
The resolution of the World Curling Federation (WCF) to keep the championship in Kazan was made on 10 September in Stockholm during their WCF's Annual General Assembly. The decision to award Kazan holding the event was first announced in October 2015. The WCF's spokesperson told that 'With regards to the World Mixed Curling Championships in Kazan, following discussions with the IOC it was agreed this event could continue as the planning was too far advanced and to cancel it would have adversely impacted on the 36 visiting teams, many of whom had already made and paid for flight arrangements.'
The spokesperson also confirmed that they are 'working with the IOC and WADA to establish the best way forward regarding the information contained in the McLaren Report', and they 'await the final report later this month'. 'Following a meeting with the Russian Curling Federation it was confirmed they will offer their full cooperation in the efforts to promote clean sport and prove their athletes are abiding by our anti-doping standards.'
The upcoming event will take place on 15-22 October in the Kazan Sport Palace. This is the second time of the World Mixed Curling Championships (the first one was held in Switzerland's Bern last year). The main difference between the mixed curling and the traditional one is that here a team consists of two male and two female curlers.
Kazan has already acted as a host of many significant sport events, such as the 2013 Universiade and the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. The city is also going to hold the 2017 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships and some matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.