R-SPORT: "THE RUSSIAN CYCLING TEAM INTENDS TO WIN 10 QUOTAS FOR THE PARALYMPICS"

MOSCOW, 4 Mar-RIA Novosti, Oleg Bogatov. The Russian national cycling team has won two licenses for the right to participate in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and expects to receive eight more quotas, the senior coach of the Russian national cycling team for people with musculoskeletal injuries (PODA) Ekaterina Mukhortova.

The Paralympics will be held in Japan from August 24 to September 5. Cyclists will compete for 51 sets of medals: 34 on the highway and 17 on the track, athletes with PODA will contest 43 sets, athletes with visual impairment - eight.

"The selection in our sport takes place according to the qualification system developed by the World Cycling Union (UCI)," Mukhortova said by phone. - Athletes who are in the top ten in the qualifying competitions in individual and team sports bring points to the country, on the basis of which the UCI allocates qualifying places. Quotas won by athletes in the Russian national team are not registered. The maximum number of quotas that the RCC can receive from the UCI is 14 for men and seven for women."

"The first quotas for participation in the Paralympic Games were distributed in 2018 based on the national ranking, the Russian team won one men's and one women's," the expert added. - The period of winning quotas for us will end on June 6. And on July 5, the UCI will distribute five more men's and five women's quotas - based on the applications of the National Paralympic Committees."

Mukhortova noted that in May 2021, Belgium and Italy will host two stages of the World Cup on the highway, which will affect the situation in the ranking. "According to the UCI rating, after the 2020 World Track Championships, our team claims five more men's quotas and three women's quotas," the agency's interlocutor continued. - I assume that at the end of these stages, we will not only retain our positions, but also try to win another quota.""The coaching staff of the national team, together with the RCC and the All - Russian Federation of Sports of Persons with PODA, developed criteria for inclusion in the Russian Paralympic team," Mukhortova added. - The athletes who will represent our country will be considered in terms of the prospects of each of them to win medals at the Games. And taking into account the results of his performance at national and international competitions for several years."