Moscow (AFP)

Russia, banned for four years from international competitions for a doping scandal, denounced on Monday an "anti-Russian hysteria", while unhappy sportsmen prepare to continue their careers under neutral flag.

"All these decisions are repeated against athletes who have already been punished (...) which is reminiscent of the continuation of anti-Russian hysteria become chronic", responded the Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, quoted by the Russian agencies .

If he admits that Russia has "a serious doping problem," the head of the government nevertheless ruled that Russian sports bodies should appeal the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to exclude Russia from major competitions, Tokyo Olympics 2020 included.

For the boss of Russia's anti-doping agency Rusada, Yuri Ganous, this situation was predictable, and the chance of a victory on appeal is nil as Russian guilt is obvious.

- Serious changes -

For five years after the discovery of a state doping system in Russia, the country is punished again for four years for being caught in the bag, according to the AMA, by manipulating databases of controls .

"I want to say that we expect the President (Vladimir Putin) to bring about serious changes" in the fight against sports cheating, the leader of Rusada once again said.

Mr Ganous predicted such sanctions, accusing the Russian authorities of falsifying data to protect cheaters.

Russia, however, has been in the habit of denouncing a Western-Western conspiracy to humiliate the country and remove competition.

Mr. Putin has successfully used in recent years the organization of major competitions as a source of international prestige: World Championships in Athletics (2013), Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (2014), World Championships in Swimming (2015) and ice hockey (2016).

The FIFA World Cup in 2018 was also a success: more than 3 million foreign tourists visited Russia during the competition and 17 foreign heads of state attended the opening ceremony.

On the side of the sportsmen and their instances, the reactions go from the consternation to the anger, the sanctions pronounced Monday punishing according to them the competitors own and not the culprits.

"It's a very sad decision, we hope it will be reviewed" on appeal, told the agency Tass the 2016 judo Olympic champion Khasan Khalmurzaev.

"I do not have words, I'm gutted (...) It's all political," reacted on his side Aslanbek Khushtov, Olympic wrestling champion in 2008.

The president of the Union of Russian Biathletes, Vladimir Drachev, has denounced to the Russian media a "non-objective decision, because Russian sport has done much in recent years" to eradicate his doping problem.

- No boycott -

The idea of ​​continuing the competition under a neutral flag was nevertheless making its way to the federations.

"We have to fight at the Court of Arbitration of Sport, of course", judged the head of the gymnastics federation Vassili Titov, but whatever the outcome of these procedures, we must "go (to the Olympics), participate and in no way boycotter case ".

For the president of the Swimming Federation, Vladimir Salnikov, quoted by the Ria Novosti agency, "of course we prefer that our athletes participate under Russian flag and hear the anthem of their country". "But the circumstances may be other (...) nobody has the right to deprive the innocent athletes of their dreams," he added.

Handball Federation boss Sergei Chichkarev also said that 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