Russia's reputation, Olympic status on trial for doping

Russia’s status as an Olympic team, and its reputation as a serial cheater in international sports, goes on trial next week in more legal fallout from country's state-backed doping saga.

At an undisclosed location in Lausanne on Monday, Court of Arbitration for Sport will start hearing four days of evidence and testimony about a manipulated database from Moscow testing laboratory.

three-judge panel has been asked by World Anti-Doping ncy to ban Russia’s name, flag and anm from Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, plus four years of world championships.

WA would let Russian athletes compete only if t implicated in doping or cover-ups. Russia’s right to host and bid for world championships could also stop for four years.

case formally pits WA against its Russian affiliate, kwn as RUSA. Russian ncy was ruled n-compliant last December. That decision and proposal of sanctions is being disputed.

But it is Russian state that is effectively on trial for its handling of database. It was given to WA investigators — belatedly in January 2019 — after laboratory h long been sealed. WA says details of doping tests and emails were deleted or changed, and false trails created to frame whistleblowers.

RUSA denies wrongdoing and claims punishments are “unfounded, lacked legal basis ... and violated principle of proportionality,” CAS said this week.

WA president Witold Bańka said on Friday it “has left stone unturned in preparation for this hearing and we are looking forward to having opportunity to present our case clearly and fairly."

Russian government has often blamed a western conspiracy since WA investigations opened in 2014.

Previous doping revelations led to chaotic late selection vetting that let hundreds of Russians compete at past two Olympics. International Olympic Committee refused WA’s request to ban Russia outright from 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Postponing 2020 Tokyo Olympics by one year during coronavirus pandemic gave more time to resolve this case.

hearing opens two weeks after more allegations of Russian misconduct in Olympic circles.

Russian military intelligence officers were indicted by U.S. Department of Justice for alleged cyberattacks, including on 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Britain’s government said Russia also targeted Tokyo Games.

A CAS verdict is t expected for at least several weeks. A furr appeal is possible at Switzerland's supreme court.

DOPING SAGA

Russian doping programs were first reported by media and n detailed by WA-appointed investigations led by two Canian lawyers, veteran IOC member Richard Pound and long-time CAS judge Richard McLaren.

Evidence included steroid cocktails, orders to hide doping cases, and state nts helping to swap athlete samples through a hole in wall at 2014 Sochi Olympic testing laboratory.

At its heart was Moscow and Sochi lab director Grigory Rodchenkov. He fled Russia and is in witness protection program in United States. His story was told in an Oscar-winning documentary.

WA declared RUSA n-compliant in 2015 and lifted ban in September 2018, with conditions.

CURRENT CASE

A key demand in current case was getting Moscow lab’s database and stored samples within three months. y were a route to closure for Russia and lifting suspicion from athletes.

WA investigators waited to cross-check evidence with a database copy it got from a whistleblower. What y received in January 2019 — one month later than promised — h been altered.

“Flagrant manipulation,” IOC said, and “an insult to sporting movement worldwide.”

WA opened case using compliance rules updated in 2018 that gave ncy more and wider powers to sanction. RUSA rejected WA’s proposed punishment, and Russian Olympic officials later fired RUSA chief executive who ackwledged wrongdoing.

Russia’s own investigation blamed illicit database editing from abro and unstable lab software.

HEARING

WA’s request to open hearing to media needed consent from all parties. It was refused.

third parties w include IOC, European Olympic Committees, International Paralympic Committee, hockey’s governing body and Russian affiliates of each, plus some athletes.

International Ice Hockey Federation could be forced to move 2023 world championships from St. Petersburg.

hearing in English and Russian was intended to have some parties in room and ors on video link. worsening pandemic in Switzerland means three judges can longer come to Lausanne, court said on Friday.

JUDGES

Each side in case gets to pick one judge to sit on three-person panel, and those two judges n pick a third.

WA chose Luigi Fumagalli of Italy. He often gets soccer cases and also led CAS panel which ruled 67 Russian track and field athletes ineligible for 2016 Olympics.

Russia's pick is Hamid Gharavi, a dual France-Iran national. He was selected by Russian athletes in cases that overturned 28 disqualifications by IOC from Sochi.

panel president two judges chose is Mark Williams, an Australian who has ruled on athlete selection disputes for his country's Olympic body.

verdict should bind all sports bodies signed up to World Anti-Doping Code.

If sanctions are applied, y would likely include how to name future Russian teams. It was “Authorized Neutral Athletes” at track worlds, but “Olympic Athlete from Russia” at Pyeongchang. WA, however, is against any name that includes word “Russia.”

A process for vetting Russian entries to major events would also be needed.

“This decision must be watertight and waterproof,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in January. “It cant leave any, any room for any kind of interpretation.”

Im credits: AP