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IOC Wants Explanation From RTF President Tarpischev Over 'Williams Brothers' Comment

The IOC is demanding that Russian member Shamil Tarpischev "explain comments he made about Venus and Serena Williams earlier this month," according to Danielle Rossingh of BLOOMBERG. Tarpischev, also president of the Russian Tennis Federation, "was suspended from any tour involvement for one year" and fined the maximum $25,000 by the women’s WTA tour after he called Venus and Serena Williams the "Williams brothers" on a Russian talk show last week. Over the weekend, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova "criticized the remarks by the 66-year-old, who has been a member of the IOC since 1994." IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, "The IOC will directly contact Mr. Tarpischev to ask him for a full explanation of his comments." The WTA "is also seeking to have him removed as chairman of the Kremlin Cup event for a year" (BLOOMBERG, 10/20). The London GUARDIAN reported the WTA published a letter of apology from Tarpischev, who insisted that "the comments were intended as a joke." Multiple grand slam winner Martina Navratilova questioned the “silence” of the Int'l Tennis Federation over the matter. Navratilova "praised the speedy action by the WTA" in defending Serena and Venus but "was critical of the ITF." She said, "The silence from the ITF has been pretty deafening. They are the ones who have actually the possibility of doing something as Tarpischev is head of the Russian Tennis Federation, which falls under the ITF and is also Fed Cup captain which falls under the ITF. ... Certainly this kind of bullying comment cannot be tolerated from anyone, but particularly from a high up official in the tennis world." The ITF said that it hoped Tarpischev’s WTA punishment and apology to the Williams sisters "could draw a line under the incident" (GUARDIAN, 10/20).

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