Russia has been handed a four year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
WADA Executive Committee unanimously endorses four-year period of non-compliance for the Russian Anti-Doping Agency:https://t.co/K8QjAz7u4R
— WADA (@wada_ama) December 9, 2019
This means that Russian flag and anthem will not be at events and they cannot be a part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and 2022 Beijing Winter Games, the Youth Olympic Games, world championships or any other event that is subject to World Anti-Doping Code. But athletes who can prove that they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag.
WADA’s executive committee made the unanimous decision to impose the ban on Russia in a meeting in Lausanne,Switzerland. This happened only after Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) was declared non-compliant for manipulating laboratory data handed over to investigators in January 2019. Now, Rusada has 21 days to appeal against the ban. If it does so, the appeal will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Russia has been banned from competing as a nation in athletics since 2015 after accused of state sponsored doping scheme. Even in the 2018 Winter Olympics, 168 Russian athletes competed under a neutral flag in PyeongChang.
Despite the ban, Russia will compete at the Euro 2020, held in St Petersburg as it is not a major event, with regards to rulings on anti-doping breaches.
