(NBC) – Russia has been banned from the world’s top sporting events for the next four years.
The ban was announced Monday by the World Anti-Doping Agency after Russia was found to have tampered with tests on athletes.
The ban includes the next Summer and Winter Olympics and the 2022 Soccer World Cup, though some “clean” Russian athletes may be allowed to compete as individuals.
At last year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, some Russians were banned over past cheating.
Now Russia’s been caught again. “For too long Russian doping has detracted from clean sport,” said World Anti-Doping Agency President Craig Reedie.
At the Pyeongchang games, 168 Russians ruled “clean” from doping were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag, winning a worst-ever two gold medals.
Even after that, the World Anti-Doping Agency says Russia manipulated samples submitted this year.
Reedie said, “Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order and to join the global anti-doping community for the good of its athletes and for the integrity of sport, but it chose instead a different route.”
Now an even tougher punishment: no Russian national teams allowed at international sports events for four years. But again, Russians who follow the rules can apply to compete.
Witold Banka, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s president-elect, said, “We are really sanctioning those who are responsible for these manipulations and leave doors open for those who had nothing to do with the doping scandal in Russia.”
Russia’s prime minister calling the punishment too harsh. “It’s more of anti-Russian hysteria, which has already taken on a chronic form,” P.M. Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia now has three weeks to appeal the ban on its teams to an international court that rules on sports disputes.
Russian sports have been marred by scandal since a 2015 report found widespread doping among its athletes and fudging to cover it up.
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