Russia’s Euro 2020 hosting under threat after WADA recommends ban
Russia’s staging of games at Euro 2020 could be under threat after a World Antidoping Agency (WADA) committee recommended the country be banned from hosting sports events for four years.
Russia could also be banned from next year’s Tokyo Olympics – having also been excluded from the 2018 Winter Games – and other major competitions, BBC Sport reported.
WADA’S Compliance Review Committee (CRC) recommended a raft of measures after declaring the Russian Anti-doping Agency (RUSADA) noncompliant over inconsistencies in anti-doping data.
One of the proposals is to withdraw the right to host an event already awarded unless it’s “legally and practically impossible.”
St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, is a venue for Euro 2020 group games and a quarter¿nal tie – a ¿xture potentially involving England.
WADA’S executive committee will consider the recommendations and make the ¿nal decision at a meeting in Paris on December 9.
“We are plunging, for the next four years, into a new phase of Russia’s doping crisis,” Russia’s anti-doping chief Yury Ganus told AFP.
“There are a lot of problems in sports here, but the most dif¿cult and tragic thing is that our athletes have become hostages of the actions of our sports of¿cials.
“We need to push through real changes. We need new sports leaders.”
Key recommendations
The CRC made its recommendations based “in particular” on a forensic review of inconsistencies found in some of the data obtained by the agency from the Moscow Laboratory in January 2019.
The committee concluded that there is “an extremely serious case of noncompliance with the requirement to provide an authentic copy of the Moscow data, with several aggravating features.”
CRC’S “strong proposed consequences” include:
● Russia may not host, or bid for or be granted the right to host any major events for four years. ● Russia may not bid for
the right to host the 2032
Olympic and Paralympic Games, irrespective of whether the bidding takes place during or after the four-year period. ● The country’s Àag may not be Àown at any major event staged in the fouryear period. ● Russian athletes and their support personnel may only participate in major events staged in the fouryear period where they are able to demonstrate that they are not implicated in any way by the noncompliance. In such circumstances these athletes would compete as neutrals. ● Where the right to host a major event in the fouryear period has already been awarded to Russia, the signatory must withdraw that right and reassign the event to another country, unless it is legally or practically impossible to do so.
The four-year period would start “on the date on which the decision that RUSADA is non-compliant becomes ¿nal.”
US Anti-doping Agency head Travis Tygart said, “It’s great the CRC has recognized the egregious conduct of Russia toward clean athletes and now let’s all hope the WADA executive committee uses the same resolve to ensure clean athletes are not again sold down the river and actually supports this unfortunate but necessary outcome.”
RUSADA was initially declared noncompliant in November 2015 after a Wada-commissioned report by sports lawyer Professor Richard Mclaren alleged widespread corruption that amounted to state-sponsored doping in Russian track and ¿eld athletics.
A further report, published in July 2016, declared Russia operated a state-sponsored doping program for four years across the “vast majority” of summer and winter Olympic sports.
In 2018, WADA reinstated RUSADA as compliant after the national agency agreed to release data from its Moscow Laboratory from the period between January 2012 and August 2015.
However, positive ¿ndings contained in a version courtesy of a whistleblower in 2017 were missing from the January 2019 data, which prompted a new inquiry.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James delivered exceptional scoring efforts as their conference-leading clubs stretched NBA win streaks to eight games on Monday.
Greek playmaker Antetokounmpo scored 50 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and added six assists to rally the Bucks over the visiting Utah Jazz 122-118, AFP reported.
The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player’s run of 17 double-doubles to start a season is the NBA’S longest since 1976.
“I’m just trying to get better,” said Antetokounmpo.
“Take it day by day, game by game and just get myself ready in games that matter the most.
“We want to be the last team playing at the end of the season.”
Four-time NBA MVP James scored 33 points and passed off 14 assists while Anthony Davis contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds to spark the Nba-leading Lakers in a 114-104 victory at San Antonio.
“He was unbelievable,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of James.
“He just dominated the action, made everything offensively.”
The Lakers improved to an Nba-best 15-2 to pace the Western Conference with Milwaukee atop the Eastern Conference at 143, the league’s second-best record.
“It’s good to be in the position we’re in,” James said.
James made 13-of-24 shots from the Àoor, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and his 12 in the fourth quarter helped the Lakers improve to 7-1 on the road.
“I just want to be able to not have any weaknesses and allow a defense to dictate what I do,” James said.
“Just trying to be the most complete basketball player I can be.”
The Bucks are on their longest win streak since the 2001-02 season.
“We’re just playing together and having fun,” Antetokounmpo said.
“Our defense has been really good lately.”
Antetokounmpo scored 32 points in the second half to spark a comeback for the Bucks and chants of “M-VP” from Bucks fans.
Utah led 57-48 at halftime but surrendered 42 points to Milwaukee in the third quarter and made only 26.
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell was driving for a tying layup in the dying seconds but Brook Lopez blocked the shot to preserve Milwaukee’s victory.
“It was a big-time block,” Antetokounmpo said.