(Reuters) – The Russian anti-doping agency disputes the World Anti-Doping Agency’s assessment that RUSADA is non-compliant with the world anti-doping code, WADA said in a statement on Friday as it prepares to send the case to sport’s highest court CAS.
Last month, WADA said Russia would face more sanctions for failing to address its non-compliance issues.
RUSADA was deemed non-compliant due to non-conformities relating to national legislation that were identified during a virtual audit in September 2022.
WADA said it would now send the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“Today, WADA has received formal notification from RUSADA that it disputes WADA’s allegation of non-compliance, the proposed consequences and reinstatement conditions,” Montreal-based WADA said in a statement.
“WADA will shortly refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for its consideration. As such, the consequences will not apply until such time as CAS makes its ruling.”
The impact of new sanctions on RUSADA is likely to be limited as many have already been put in place by world sporting bodies because of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.
Among the punishments recommended by WADA’s Compliance Review Committee (CRC), Russia’s flag will not be flown at the Olympic Games, world championship, continental and regional competitions until reinstatement conditions are met.
WADA said it had been “assessing and monitoring” RUSADA to see if it meets all of the reinstatement conditions stemming from a 2020 CAS decision that found RUSADA non-compliant with the world anti-doping code.
“Until all the reinstatement conditions are met, RUSADA cannot be considered for reinstatement,” WADA said.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Ken Ferris)
