The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has banned Russia from taking part in or hosting major international sporting events for four years over the country’s doping non-compliance.
In 2015, the WADA launched compliance proceedings against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) accusing the latter of a large-scale state-funded doping scheme across the vast majority of summer and winter Olympics sports.
WADA, Executive Committee, made this unanimous decision on Monday after a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee (ExCo) unanimously endorsed the recommendation made by the independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) be declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) for a period of four years,” the official statement by WADA.
“Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, the 12-member ExCo supported the CRC’s recommendation, which includes a series of strong consequences and conditions of reinstatement in accordance with the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS),” according to the statement.
This means that athletes under the Russian flag, will not be allowed to partake in any global sporting event, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
However, Russian athletes who can prove they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag.
Also, Russian state officials, ROC and RPC were also banned from attending any global sports tournaments.
RUSADA has now been giving 21 days to accept the decision or to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
