The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on Monday reported that
Russia could face a ban from all major sports events over
“discrepancies” in a lab database presented.
Russia presented the lab result in January 2019 seeking to
be reinstated back into the sporting fold after a three-year suspension from
the Olympics and world championships.
However, Wada chairman of compliance panel, Jonathan Taylor,
claims that the results appear to have been tempered with, demanding an
explanation from the Russian authority within three weeks.
“There’s evidence this data has been deleted, we need
to understand from the Russian authorities what their explanation is.” said
Mr. Taylor.
The agency opened a formal compliance procedure over the
discovery of “inconsistencies” in the database.
Taylor added that if the status quo is maintained, then the
compliance committee could propose consequences.
“This is hypothetical at the moment, but if the experts
maintain their current view, then the compliance review committee will make a
recommendation to send a notice to Rusada asserting ‘you’re non-compliant’ and
proposing consequences,” said Taylor.
This therefore means Russia faces being barred from hosting
major events, with its athletes being banned from participating in world
championships.
“In a case with a ‘critical non-compliance’, there is
now a starting point for the sanctions that can go up and down, and they do
include sanctions against Rusada and options include no events hosted in
Russia, and they do include no participation of Russian athletes in world
championships and up to the Olympics.”
Taylor emphasised that under a new set of rules, Wada now
has the power to apply such punishments, but also explained that if Russia were
to appeal, the case would ultimately be decided by the Court of Arbitration for
Sport (Cas).
“Everyone has agreed they will enforce what Cas
agrees,” he said.
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