Russia banned to use name, flag, anthem in next 2 Olympics [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Russia will be banned for using its country name, flag, and national anthem for the next two Olympics or any world championships events until 2022, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Thursday.
• CAS also ruled to ban Russia from hosting any major sports event in the next two years.
• The ruling came as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had found irregularities and data tampering on investigating state-backed doping.

On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled to ban Russia from using its name, flag, and national anthem in the upcoming two Olympics or any world championships until 2022. The country was also prohibited to bid and host any major sporting events for two years.

The sanction was lesser than the recommendation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which proposed a four-year ban against Russia, but it was still considered a severe punishment following the claims of state-backed doping and other irregularities that surfaced following the Sochi Olympics last 2014.

Provided that they will not be found guilty of doping and other similar cases, Kremlin teams and athletes will be permitted to participate in 2021’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and other world championships.

In addition, Russia could still be able to carry its name, provided it would also carry the words “Neutral Athlete” or “Neutral Team” in their uniforms. State officials and leaders, which include President Vladimir Putin, could also attend the games if the host country’s leader would send an invite.

Last year, Kremlin officials allegedly manipulated the national athletes’ database from the Moscow testing laboratory before turning it over to WADA investigators, based on the case.

In a decision upheld by the three judges on Thursday, the Russian anti-doping agency, also called as Rusada, was ruled as non-complainant. The agency was also instructed to pay WADA an amount of $1.27 million.

Last month, Russian athletes, together with their legal counsel, joined the hearing that took place in Lausanne, and acted as a third party. They argued that they should not suffer the consequences since it was the state officials who were at fault.

Despite being deprived of hosting world championships for the next two years, Russia could be exempted from getting the blame and as per any sports organization, they are encouraged to find another eligible host.

In 2018, WADA investigators went to Moscow to gather the database and look for potential evidence that would point to suspected doping violations made by Russia in the previous years. Upon receiving the data, doping test materials and emails have appeared to be compromised.

Source: AOL.com