Olympic crisis for Russia as RUSADA ban stays in place

The prospect of Russia boycotting an Olympics for the first time since 1984 is a step closer after its national anti- doping agency failed to have its suspension lifted.

The Russian Anti- Doping Agency was declared noncompliant with the World Anti-Do ping Agency’ s rules when the details of Russia’s systemic cheating first emerged in November 2015.

With the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang just 12 weeks away, yesterday’ s WADA foundation board meeting in Seoul was the last scheduled chance for RU SAD A to convince anti- doping leaders it had met the terms of a “road map” to compliance.

While RUSADA has met almost every technical item on the list, much of which has been overseen by UK Anti- Doping, it has refused to comply with two fundamental criteria.

Even despite the recent discovery off ur therevidence to corroborate the case against them, the Russian authorities will still not admit they ran a statesponsored do ping program me or allow access to blood and urine samples stored in the Moscow anti-do ping laboratory at the heart of the conspiracy.

By refusing to meet these requirements, the Russian delegation’s efforts to persuade the 38- strong foundation board, which represents the governments and Olympic sports that cofund WADA, to lift RUSADA’S ban were doomed. It is understood the mood was so unanimous WADA president Sir Craig Reedie did not need to put it to a vote.

The next key date is 5 December, when the International Olympic Committee’ s executive board meets in Lausanne to decide what involvement, if any, Russia should have in Pyeongchang.

There are several sanc - ti on son the table, ranging from a repeat of the limited punishment Russia faced at last summer’s Rio Games, to allowing only carefully vetted, “neutral” Russians to compete. Russian sports leaders have said they will boycott P yeongchang if forced to compete as neutrals.