Russia will not be allowed to officially compete in any major international sporting events, including the Olympics and World Cup, for the next four years thanks to a doping ban handed down on Monday. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) unanimously agreed to the punishment, which is connected to the country's major state-wide doping scandal that came to light after the 2014 Sochi Olympics, according to BBC.
The latest ban comes after Russia's own anti-doping agency (Rusada) failed to comply with an investigation into the doping activities and allegedly tampered with laboratory data before handing it over to authorities. Rusada's compliance was a crucial part of the state's 2018 reinstatement following a previous three-year ban.
"For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport," WADA president Sir Craig Reedie said, according to BBC. "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."
Russia has 21 days to file an appeal to challenge the ban. If they choose to do so, which seems likely at this point, the appeal will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
If the newest punishment sticks, the ban will prevent Russia from officially competing in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Russia will still be allowed to compete at Euro 2020, which will be hosted by St. Petersburg, as the event is not considered a "major sporting event" by UEFA.
Despite the ban, Russian athletes who are not connected to the doping scandal will still be allowed to compete at international events, but they will not be allowed to fully represent Russia. The Russian flag and anthem will be banned from competition, meaning the athletes will have to compete under a neutral flag.
It would create a similar situation as to what we saw during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, where hundreds of Russian athletes were able to compete under the neutral designation of "Olympic Athletes From Russia." Russia has been banned from most major international competitions since 2015.
