We'll have to rely on receiving the data from Wada before handing it to the AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit). Russia could then declare that it no longer has interest in participating in tournaments sanctioned by the IOC and WADA, at least not over the next four years. On other occasions, a country is temporarily banned—such as Russia or, in years past, South Africa, Kuwait and several other countries. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. If Russian athletes are advantaged by breaking rules that athletes from other countries follow, Russian athletes would fraudulently obtain superior odds to earn medals and victories.WADA’s four-year ban is multi-faceted. CAS is not a court or tribunal. In 2008, seven Russian track and field athletes were suspended ahead of the Summer Olympics in Beijing for manipulating their urine samples. Russian experts could then insist that WADA’s findings are based on atypical or biased methods and not reliable.Alternatively, Russian attorneys could admit that all or some the alleged data errors are real but then pivot to blame them on a person who they’ll say worked against the country’s interests.
WADA says one thing and does something entirely different.”In Russia, where leaders have traditionally viewed sports as a national showcase, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the ban as “a continuation of the anti-Russian hysteria that has already grown chronic,” according to a report from the Tass state news agency.The scandal dates back to allegations from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
David Wharton is a feature sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times.
The Soviet Union’s boycott was fashioned as a response to supposed security concerns and “anti-Soviet hysteria” in the United States. Russian authorities are also suspected of attempting to obstruct and deceive WADA investigators through fabricated “system messages.” This alleged scheme further relied on the backdating of newer computer files in order to provide an illusion that nothing nefarious had occurred.Surprisingly blunt commentary by Yuri Ganus, RUSADA’s chief executive, also shaped WADA’s viewpoint. Though media reports and a WADA investigation subsequently detailed a state-run doping program, Russia was allowed to compete on a limited basis at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.Paradise High’s football team propped up an entire community in the wake of the devastating Camp fire. In some cases, system messages were fabricated to thwart investigators and newly created files were back-dated to appear as if they originated in 2015.“Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order,” WADA President Craig Reedie said. Another argument that might sway CAS is if WADA’s investigative and analysis methods departed in any way from established conventions and procedures. Accepting the allegations would imply that Russia admits to the alleged wrongdoing.However, if Russia believes that it wouldn’t get a fair shake before CAS or if it concludes that WADA and the IOC are motivated by a desire to embarrass Russia and politically undermine Russian president Vladimir Putin on the world stage, Russia could let the deadline pass as a form of protest. The Russian athletics … And WADA officials are left to defend their choice.“While being tough on the authorities, this recommendation avoids punishing the innocent and instead stands up for the rights of clean athletes everywhere,” said Jonathan Taylor, head of a WADA committee that recommended the sanctions.Russian athletes can apply for eligibility in the upcoming Olympics if they have no positive doping tests on record and have not been implicated in previous WADA investigations.Scores of athletes whose data was manipulated by the Moscow lab will not be considered. Russia has been banned from competing as a nation in athletics since 2015.