This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
On December 9, 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed a four-year ban on Russia from all major sporting events, a punishment that will see the country miss the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The ban was handed down after WADA's executive committee concluded that Moscow had tampered with laboratory data by planting fake evidence and deleting files linked to positive doping tests.
According to WADA, the manipulation of laboratory data was a deliberate attempt to cover up a doping scandal that peaked at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
The punishment is the most severe yet connected to the cheating scheme, which has seen specific bans on Russian sports and government officials that prohibit the country from hosting international events.
However, Russia could still contest the decision and has 21 days to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
