In an executive committee meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided to hand Russia a four-year ban from all international sporting events.
This decision comes after Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) which was initially suspended for three years by the WADA for being involved in a state sponsored mega doping scandal managed to get itself reinstated in 2018. However, WADA has found Rusada guilty of being non-compliant as they have found evidence of manipulation in the laboratory data that has been handed over to WADA by the Russian agency.
Rusada will have 21 days to appeal the ban in which case the appeal will be referred to the Court if Arbitration for Sports.
Speaking to the BBC, WADA president Sir Craig Reedie expressed that they were taking a tough stance against the Russian Doping scandal.
“For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport. The blatant breach by the Russian authorities of Rusada’s reinstatement conditions demanded a robust response.
“That is exactly what has been delivered.
“Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order and re-join the global anti-doping community for the good of its athletes and of the integrity of sport, but it chose instead to continue in its stance of deception and denial.”
This ban would mean that Russia will not be able to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and in the 2022 FIFA World cup which is held in the Qatar. However, despite the ban Russia will be able to compete in the Euro 2020 football competition of which Russia’s St. Petersburg is a host city as the European football’s governing body UEFA is not defined as a ‘major event organization’ with regards to rulings on anti-doping breaches.
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