CAS bans Russia from using its flag at next two Olympics
Dec 17, 2020
Lausanne [Switzerland], December 17 : Russian athletes will not be able to participate in the Olympics or at any world championships under the country's flag for the next two years, a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday.
CAS has issued its decision in the arbitration procedure between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Russian AntiDoping Agency (RUSADA), with 50 intervening parties, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
CAS said that its panel unanimously determined RUSADA to be "non-compliant" with the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) in connection with its failure to procure the delivery of the authentic LIMS data (Laboratory Information Management System) and underlying analytical data of the former Moscow Laboratory to WADA. As a consequence, the Panel issued a number of orders which come into effect on 17 December 2020 for a period of two years, i.e. until 16 December 2022, CAS said.
"The Panel's orders include, inter alia, the possibility during the two-year period for any athlete or athlete support personnel from Russia to participate in or attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games (winter or summer) and any world championships organised or sanctioned by a WADA signatory, on the condition that they are not subject to a suspension imposed by a competent authority, that the uniform is 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," CAS said in a statement.
"For RUSADA to be reinstated as a compliant signatory, all consequences imposed for RUSADA's non-compliance must have been respected and observed in full by RUSADA through the two-year period with all monetary fines and contributions paid," it added.
CAS said that WADA filed its Request for Arbitration on January 9, 2020, and a hearing took place from November 2 to 5, 2020 in a mixed format (in-person and by video-conference).
