Russia's Olympic Hopes Take A Big Hit As WADA Seeks A 4-Year Ban For Providing False Doping Data

A World Anti-Doping Agency panel suggests Russia should be barred from all sporting competition for four years. They said Moscow had falsified laboratory data.

WADA's Compliance Review Committee has called for the sanctions, which means that Russia will miss out on next year's Olympics.

It has also recommended Russia be barred from staging or bidding for major international sporting events during the same period.

afp/representational image

Should it be approved, Russia can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The recommended four-year ban comes after WADA investigators checked data from the lab which was given to WADA in January

Revealing the data was an important factor in Russia's controversial reinstatement by WADA last year in September.

reuters/representational image

But WADA claims that the data was incomplete and not fully authentic.

reuters

The ban was only a part of a range of punishments the CRC has recommended.

"As well as a ban from sporting competition, the WADA committee had recommended Russia be forbidden from hosting or bidding for any major event. For events already awarded to Russia, hosting rights must be removed unless "it is legally or practically impossible to do so," WADA said.

This means Saint Petersburg's chances of hosting matches at Euro 2020 will be affected. It is supposed to host three group games and a quarter-final.

WADA Compliance Review Committee recommends series of strong consequences for RUSADA non-compliance: https://t.co/O1wpVrnKXs

¡ª WADA (@wada_ama) November 25, 2019

Also Russian government officials shall be barred from attending major events should this ban come into effect.

Athletes may still compete in international competitions as long as they can prove they are not part of the scandal.

reuters/representational image

This updated is the latest event of what started in, when an independent WADA commission investigating allegations of Russian doping.