RUSSIA have been banned from all global sport, including the World Cup 2022 and 2020 Olympics, after being hit with FOUR-YEAR suspension over the recent doping scandals.
The nation – who hosted football’s 2018 World Cup – have been hit with the incredible punishment by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) but WILL appeal.
Russia have been banned from world sporting events for four years
Russia’s own anti-doping agency (Rusada) were deemed to have been non-compliant after handing over laboratory data to investigators in January 2019 that is said to have been manipulated.
Rusada were ordered to hand over all data to investigators as part of their controversial reinstatement to sporting events amidst a three-year ban for state-sponsored doping.
While they will miss the football World Cup in Qatar in three years and the Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer, Russia will still compete at Euro 2020.
The nation can compete at football’s European Championships as the four-year ban only relates to world sporting events, not European.
St Petersburg is also still set to act as a host city for the continent-wide tournament next summer.
How did Russia get here?
2015
- Russia declared “non-compliant” in regards to handing over doping data
- Wada’s independent commission investigat allegations of doping, cover-ups and extortion
- Russia accused of running a “state-sponsored” doping regime
2016
- Russia declared to be operating state-sponspored doping programme for FOUR years
- Doping regime said to encompass “vast majority” of Olympic sports – both summer and winter
2018
- Russia declared “compliant” after agreeing to release data (2012 to 2015) from Moscow lab
- Nation reinstated
- Positive findings then found from whistleblower’s version of data from 2017
2019
- Missing data from January 2019 prompts new inquiry
- Wada recommend forensic review of data
- Russia banned from global sporting events for four years
- Russia immediately appeal against ban
UNANIMOUS DECISION
Wada’s executive committee agreed to slap Russia with the four-year ban in a unanimous decision during a meeting in Switzerland.
Rusada were given 21 days to launch an appeal – which they did immediately. The case will now be handed over to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
But Wada vice-president Linda Helleland was left furious at the decision – deeming the ban to be far too lenient.
Helleland said: “I wanted sanctions that can not be watered down. We owe it to the clean athletes to implement the sanctions as strongly as possible.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: “We are clear that there is no place for doping in sport.
“Players and fans must be confident that there is a level playing field across sport. The decision itself is a matter for the World Anti Doping Agency.”
Russian athletes will NOT be banned from global sporting events, such as the Olympics in 2020, however.
Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup but will now miss the 2022 edition as well as next summer’s Olympics
Should the individuals be able to prove they are clean, they will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
And Russia’s football team may be allowed to do something similar at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
A total of 168 Russians took part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in this manner.
Russia hasn’t competed as a nation in the field of athletics since 2015 due to the doping scandal.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
