Russia Hit With Four-Year Olympic, World Cup Ban Over Doping
- World Anti-Doping Agency backed sanctions unanimously
- Russia has 21 days to appeal the decision to bar its athletes
This article is for subscribers only.
Russia was banished from the Olympics and other international competitions for four years on Monday over a persistent doping scandal, a decision that also threatens to turn President Vladimir Putin and top Kremlin officials into global sporting pariahs.
The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia’s national team after officials in Moscow were accused of fabricating evidence to cover up the use of illegal substances by the country’s athletes. Individual athletes who comply with strict conditions will be allowed to compete only under a neutral flag, while WADA ordered a ban on any Russian government officials or representatives attending events.