PARIS, Dec 11 (NNN-XINHUA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said
the ruling by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to ban Russia
from international sporting events for four years violates the Olympic
charter and Russia has every reason to go to court.
“The fact that the (WADA’s) decision applies collectively to all Russian
athletes proves that it is politicized,” said Putin when answering a question
at a joint press conference with French, German and Ukrainian leaders
following the Normandy Four summit on the eastern Ukraine conflict.
“Punishment cannot be of a collective nature and applies to people who
have nothing to do with certain violations,” he said. “WADA contradicts the
Olympic charter and we have every reason to go to court.”
Earlier on Monday, WADA’s Executive Committee unanimously endorsed the recommendation by the independent Compliance Review Committee that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, RUSADA, be declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code for a period of four years.
The move will prevent Russia from having any formal presence at the 2020
Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
RUSADA will have three weeks to appeal WADA’s decision. The Court of
Arbitration for Sport would be responsible for hearing an appeal, if one went ahead.
According to the WADA ruling, over the next four years, only “clean”
Russian athletes with the neccessary medical proof will be allowed to
participate in major sports events, and even then they will not be able to
represent Russia. Russia will also be banned from hosting any major sports
events.
Russia was banned by the International Olympic Committee from last year’s
Pyeongchang Winter Games as punishment for alleged state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. But some Russian athletes with no history of doping were cleared to compete as neutral participants. — NNN-AGENCIES
