Moscow (AFP)
Russia, banned Monday for four years from the Olympic Games by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has "no chance" to win in case of appeal, told AFP the boss of the anti-doping agency Rusada .
"There is no chance of winning in court," Yuri Ganous said, as Russia can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
According to Mr. Ganous, the Rusada Supervisory Board will decide on December 19 whether an appeal will be filed to contest the exclusion of Russia for four years from the Olympics and any World Championships, decided by the AMA to punish Moscow. to have recidivated in cheating by falsifying control data.
"It's a tragedy, the clean athletes have their rights limited," regretted Yuri Ganous, who for weeks denounces the manipulations of data orchestrated according to him by senior Russian officials to cover spiked athletes.
Russians will still be able to participate in major competitions, but under a neutral flag and without the national anthem ringing.
Several Russian federations have already said they are ready to send their athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, even if the Russian flag will not float there.
According to RIA Novosti, the president of the Russian Swimming Federation, Vladimir Salnikov, "you have to go to the Olympics whatever the situation".
"Of course we prefer that our athletes participate under Russian flag and hear the hymn of their country.But the circumstances may be other, (...) no one has the right to deprive the innocent athletes of their dreams" , he added.
Handball Federation boss Sergei Chichkarev also said that the Russian teams will participate in the competition even if the Russian flag is not raised at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Before promising that Russia would fight with a "special eagerness" to win the current women's world in Japan.
© 2019 AFP