WADA recommends four-year ban for Russia on hosting sporting events after doping scandal

They have also been banned from the Tokyo Olympics next year as well as other major sports competitions after being excluded from the 2018 Winter Games.

The compliance review committee (CRC) at WADA has recommended a series of “strong consequences” after revealing the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) non-compliant over inconsistencies in anti-doping data.

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The recommendations, which include the country’s flag not to be flown at any major event in the four-year period and withdrawing the right to host an event that has already been awarded unless it's "legally and practically impossible" to re-assign the event to another country, will be considered by Wada's executive committee and a final decision will be made on December 9 at a meeting in Paris.

Russia's anti-doping chief Yury Ganus told AFP, “We are plunging, for the next four years, into a new phase of Russia's doping crisis.

"There are a lot of problems in sports here, but the most difficult and tragic thing is that our athletes have become hostages of the actions of our sports officials.

"We need to push through real changes. We need new sports leaders."

The Compliance Review stated that there is "an extremely serious case of non-compliance with the requirement to provide an authentic copy of the Moscow data, with several aggravating features".

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The CRC made its recommendations based on an investigation into alleged tampering with data from a Moscow Laboratory in January earlier this year.

However, the recommendations make it clear that Russian athletes can still compete as long as they haven't been implicated in Russia's doping scheme.

The full recommendation list proposed by the CRC in relation to consequences is:

• Russia may not host, or bid for or be granted the right to host any major events for four years.
• The country’s flag is not to be flown at any major event in the four-year period.
• Russia will withdraw the right to host an event that has already been awarded unless it's "legally and practically impossible" to re-assign the event to another country.
• They’ll also not be able to bid for the right to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games regardless of if the bidding takes place in the four year period or after.
• Russian athletes and their support personnel may only participate in major events staged in the four-year period where they are able to demonstrate that they are not implicated in any way by the non-compliance. In such circumstances, these athletes would compete as neutrals
• Russian Government officials/representatives won’t be appointed to sit as members of the boards or committees of any Code Signatory.
• Russian Government officials/representatives won’t be able to participate or attend the summer and winter Youth Olympic Games, the summer and winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, events organised by a Major Event Organisation and any World Championships.
• The President, the Secretary-General, the CEO, nor any member of the Executive Board/Governing Board of either the Russian Olympic Committee or the Russian Paralympic Committee may participate in or attend any Major Event staged.
• RUSADA must pay all WADA’s costs on this case starting from January 2019 as well as a fine to WADA of 10% it’s 2019 income or $100,000, whichever is lower.

Travis Tygart, US Anti-Doping Agency head, has said: "It's great the CRC has recognised the egregious conduct of Russia toward clean athletes.

“Now let's all hope the Wada executive committee uses the same resolve to ensure clean athletes are not again sold down the river and actually supports this unfortunate but necessary outcome."