MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said on Monday, following the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) ruling to ban Russia from sports for the next four years, that Russia athletes could dispute the agency’s ban through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Earlier in the day, the WADA Executive Committee decided to ban Russian athletes from participating in the Olympic Games for 4 years. WADA decided to admit to the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as to world championships, only “clean” athletes from Russia who will compete without Russia’s flag and anthem. WADA also decided that Russia would lose for four years the right to host major international sporting events or bid to host them.
“I think that perspectives for appealing [WADA’s decision] are pretty good … and we should take the case to CAS, where there are three arbiters and where decisions are made not based on recommendations made by a WADA representative,” Kolobkov said.
The minister added that during WADA’s investigation, Russian experts had provided the agency with convincing explanations, but were not heard.