This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
Russia Banned from Global Sports for Four Years ¶
On December 9, 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that Russia's anti-doping agency, Rusada, had failed to comply with and destroyed all samples in its laboratory.
This decision means that Russian athletes will be banned from participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and may also be barred from competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where they would have to use a different flag.
WADA President Sir Craig Reedie stated that the decision was made in their efforts to combat doping in Russia.
"For a long time, the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Russia has tainted sports. Rusada's failure to comply with our rules required swift action," Reedie said.
Reedie added, "Russia was given the opportunity to reform and join the World Anti-Doping Code for the benefit of its athletes and the integrity of sports, but it chose to continue down a path of non-compliance."
It's worth noting that Russia was previously banned from participating in the 2015 Rio Olympics and was also banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where 168 Russian athletes competed under a different flag.
