Tygart criticises ‘watered down’ sanctions imposed on Russia
Sanctions imposed on Russia for state-sponsored dop - ing have been described as "watered down" and" a catastrophic blow to clean a thletes".
The country will not be officially represented at the next summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2022 football World Cup final sin Qatar or an yo ther world championships in sports signed up to the global anti-doping code following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday.
It marks the latest chapter in the Russian doping saga. In December last year the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) imposed a four-year ban on the Russian national agency RUSADA, declaring it non- compliant after WADA investigators found data from an anti-do ping laboratory in Moscow had been manipulated and deleted. However, the CAS judges reduced the sanction to two years yesterday.
Travis Tygart, the chief executive of the United States AntiDoping Agency, was especially scathing about the ruling.
"At this stage in this sordid Russian state-sponsored doping affair, now spanning close to a decade, there is no consolation in this weak, watereddown outcome," he said. "To once again escape a meaningful consequence proportional to the crimes, much less a real ban, is a catastrophic blow to clean athletes, the integrity of sport, and the rule of law."
Teams will not be able to officially compete as Russia, the Russian flag must not be displayed or the anthem played at competition venues.
Athletes can compete as neutrals, CAS ruled, provided they are not individually subject to a suspension. Controversially, their kit can still contain the word ' Russia', provided the words 'neutral athlete' are displayed in English and given equal size and prominence. The kit must not bear the Russian flag, but can contain some or all of the colours of that flag.
Nicole Sapstead, the chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, said her organisation was "frustrated" at the reduction in the ban.
Russia is also barred from hosting or entering the bidding to host Olympic, Paralympic and world championship events covered under the sanctions during the two-year period.