Russia confirms appeal against Olympic ban for doping breaches
Summary
Russia has formally appealed against a four-year international competition ban and other sanctions imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency over allegations that laboratory data was manipulated. The WADA executive committee announced on December 9 that it endorsed recommendations from its independent compliance review committee to declare the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) non-compliant with its code and block Russian teams from competing in global sporting events such as the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2022 football World Cup. Under the sanctions Russia is also barred from hosting international sporting events, and only Russian athletes who can prove they are not implicated in the non-compliance will be permitted to compete. In a letter addressed to WADAs director general Olivier Niggli dated December 27, RUSADA secretary general Yuri Ganus wrote: "RUSADA herewith disputes the notice in its entirety, including WADAs assertion of non-compliance, the (alleged) facts on which such assertion is based, as well as the sanctions and reinstatement conditions set out in the notice, all of which are unfounded." Russian president Vladimir Putin had indicated his country had reason to appeal the day after WADA imposed the sanctions, saying in quotes reported by the TASS news agency: "Punishment cannot be collective and affect those people who have nothing to do with certain violations."