Russia is now banned from using its name, flag, or anthem at the next two Olympic games, according to a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on Thursday.
CAS issued the ban, which extends from Dec. 17, 2020 to Dec. 16, 2022, after determining Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was “non-compliant” in providing “authentic” lab testing data to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) last year.
Russian athletes and teams are permitted to complete in the 2022 World Cup and 2022 Olympics in Beijing if they are uninvolved in doping. However, they will be required to list “neutral athlete” on their uniforms.
CAS’s ruling said Russian athletes would be allowed to compete during the two-year period “on the condition that they are not subject to a suspension imposed by a competent authority, that the uniform worn does not contain the flag of the Russian Federation and contains the words ‘neutral athlete’, and that the Russian national anthem is not played or sung at any official event venue.”
Russia will also be required to pay $1.27 million to WADA for costs involved with investigating Russia’s lab data.
Russia became the center of doping allegations after the 2014 Sochi Olympics, when it was rumored that the Russian government was backing the doping and helping cover it up by altering a lab testing database.
