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). Russia’s own anti-doping agency (Rusada) […]
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).
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.
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Wada’s executive committee agreed to slap Russia with the four-year ban in a unanimous decision during a meeting in Switzerland.
Rusada now have 21 days to launch an appeal – which if they choose to do will see the case 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.”
Russian athletes will NOT be banned from global sporting events, such as the Olympics in 2020, however.
Should the individuals be able to prove they are clean, they will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
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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