WADA petitions world’s highest sports court to resolve doping row with Russia

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has asked a top sports arbitration court to make a ruling on a four-year sporting ban it imposed on Russia last month over allegations of doctored lab data.

WADA announced on Thursday that it would send the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, the world’s highest sports court, after Russia’s doping watchdog (RUSADA) disputed the four-year ban in late December.

WADA declared Russia non-compliant last month, alleging RUSADA had “manipulated” doping data from a Moscow laboratory provided to the agency earlier this year. The resulting ban would prohibit Russia from hosting international sporting events, including the Olympics, and bar Russian athletes from competing under their country’s flag.

Moscow has repeatedly slammed the move as “politically biased” and rooted in “anti-Russian hysteria,” with President Vladimir Putin deeming it in violation of both “common sense” and “international law.”

“A similar decision regarding Russia’s participation under a neutral flag was made at the previous Olympic Games, now they want to punish Russia again for the same violation. No existing legal system allows that,” Putin said.

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