the Hammer fell down hard on Russia, as the board of the world anti-doping agency, WADA, on Monday ruled stormagtens fate in the aftermath of systematic dopingsvindel and subsequent manipulation of the laboratory data in order to disguise the tracks.
Four years of exclusion from the major sporting events, and sounded the judgment. It comes after all judging to mean the farewell to the OLYMPICS in Tokyo next year, but on the other hand, the decision is of no importance for the european championship in football.
It establishes Michael Ash, who is the director of Anti-Doping Denmark, with regret.
- unfortunately, We must acknowledge that EM is not covered by the exclusion. There has been a long legal debate as to whether EM would be covered, and it is not, says Michael Ask.
the Reason is that the european football association, which organises the EM, does not are categorized as the organizer of a 'major sporting event'. The giant event is in spite of its size categorized as a continental competition in one sport, and the competition is therefore not covered by the exclusion.
- EM in football we can well write out of the equation. From the outside this looks strange, but it is how it is, says Michael Ash, who states that the categorization of UEFA has already been amended in the WADA code, but that the amendment only enters into force in 2021.
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The Russian national team can still put up with EM for the summer. Photo: JENNIFER LORENZINI/Ritzau Scanpix
the OLYMPICS in Tokyo is, however, very much a 'major sporting event', and when the games is launched in July, will only Russian athletes, which clearly do not have prepared themselves, under the terms that have been in force in Russia in recent years, participate in indmarchen under the neutral flag.
By all accounts, Russia will refer the matter to the international court of arbitration the CAS, which may overturn the exclusion. Russia has 21 days to lodge an appeal.
- a Lot can change still, but as things stand right now, so I'm happy with the decision, says Michael Ash, who is also president of the international association of national antidopingagenturer, iNado.
- We have not had a consistent exclusion - a so-called 'blanket ban' - of Russian athletes, so now it will be interesting to see how an exclusion being carried out.
- There must be some criteria for when the Russian athletes are allowed to participate in major sports events, and there is a need for some very clear and stringent criteria.
- the OLYMPIC games in Rio ended in chaos with different rules for different sports, and the winter games in Pyeongchang was, in my opinion, a farce, where Russia ran around and played ice hockey under the neutral flag.
It was grotesque, that one excluded nation could participate with a slightly modified name. It will be the major task to prevent a recurrence now, says Michael Ask.
He is not in favor of a complete exclusion of the Russian athletes based exclusively on their nationality. There are a number of athletes - for example in athletics - which for years has trained and competed abroad and has been subject to a recognized antidopingsystem. It would be unfair to exclude them, believe Michael Ask.
- the Starting point must be, however, that the Russian athletes are excluded and cannot participate, and so one must individually assess the Russian athletes, that could reasonably be considered for participation yet, " says Ash.
- It is tragic for the sport, that it is come so far that a nation must be excluded in this way, but I applaud the decision. In the light of the offences committed, it is here the only right thing to do, says Michael Ask.
See also: Condemn the fraud: - An attack on the sport's credibility
See also: Danish minister ready in the least: Throw them out
Landsholdsfodbold - 26. nov. 2019 - at. 11:46 DIF agree in tough sanctions against Russia
