“While WADA Have Been Boosted With The Support Of The IOC, The Russia Crisis Has Highlighted The Need For Further Reform”

In his final piece of 2020, Michael Pirrie outlines why the controversial Russia doping ban given out this week is a landmark in the fight against drugs in sport.

While the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reduce Russia’s doping ban has been widely criticised, the ruling nonetheless heralds a milestone in world sport and the war on drugs in sport.

The CAS decision is unprecedented and bans Russia from turning out and competing as a recognised nation at the world’s biggest global sports events, such as the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and FIFA Football World Cup.

The CAS decision also bans Russia’s high-ranking officials including President Vladimir Putin from attending the Olympics and sets a precedent in international sporting law, and justifies WADA’s decision to pursue and defend its investigations into the integrity of Russia’s systems.

“Significantly, while this ban is focussed on Russia, the CAS ruling also provides a pathways to tackle other nation states involved in doping operations.”

Significantly, while this ban is focussed on Russia, the CAS ruling also provides a pathways to tackle other nation states involved in doping operations, and also supports the position taken by world governing bodies to exclude Russia from competition while its anti doping protocols fail to comply with international standards and expectations.

This includes the position taken by World Athletics led by President Sebastian Coe, strongly supported by athletes across the international sporting spectrum pushing for stronger doping penalties. While the reduction from four to two years has outraged critics, the ban itself is a major blow to Russian sporting prestige.

It is also a major embarrassment to Russia’s political and sporting leaders, including President Putin, who have constantly denied allegations of doping coverup as part of an anti-Russia conspiracy. A raft of legal, public relations and court battles have been launched by Russia to have any adverse findings or bans declared void and thrown out.

The decision to uphold the ban, although reduced, shows WADA’s case against Russia was justified, and the ban will not be received well by a nation and its leadership which takes enormous pride in sporting success on the world stage.

“While doping violations have been recorded amongst athletes from just about every nation participating in international sport, the magnitude and methods implicated in the Russian doping scandal rocked the world.”

While this ban would not have passed through the UN Security Council due to geopolitical voting blocks, it shows that rogue nations can still be held to account by bodies like CAS for breaches of international sporting conventions, even if this is not always possible in other international sectors.

The CAS ruling is the latest twist in the greatest world sporting scandal of modern times, dating back to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. While doping violations have been recorded amongst athletes from just about every nation participating in international sport, the magnitude and methods implicated in the Russian doping scandal rocked the world.

The doping operation was indicated on a scale that was never contemplated when WADA was initially set up.

While WADA came under heavy geopolitical fire at times over its management of the Russian doping crisis, the diplomatic and collaborative approach nurtured by recently retired WADA president Sir Craig Reedie, created the environment and channels that enabled investigators and informants to uncover critical information on the hidden doping plan.

“The doping cover up and data manipulation strategy triggered a never ending game of claim and counter claim and of guilt and innocence by the offending and offended nations, allies and critics that split elite sport.”

Reedie’s ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ style and strategy played a vital role in keeping the world’s anti doping system from collapsing under the enormous weight of the crisis.

Sport became a weapon of choice for a resurgent Russia and its international operations as Moscow declared war on rival Olympic nations and athletes with a doping plan that cast an enormous shadow of doubt over trust in sport.

The doping cover up and data manipulation strategy triggered a never ending game of claim and counter claim and of guilt and innocence by the offending and offended nations, allies and critics that split elite sport. World sports governing bodies hesitated in their initial response to the crisis, some fearing the loss of Russia, a superpower and major host and benefactor of international sport, would diminish global sport.

The World Athletics executive led by Coe maintained a consistent and coherent position regarding the exclusion of track and field athletes implicated in doping activity.

While the lack of a prompt and universal response to the doping scandal caused mass confusion in international sport, the ‘no surrender’ position adopted by World Athletics has provided much needed certainty, clarity and credibility for clean athletes and sport during the protracted crisis.

“While WADA’s powers and resources have been boosted with the support of the IOC, the Russia crisis has highlighted the need for further reforms, resources and powers for the world’s premier anti doping system.”

The Russia revelations prompted a tense worldwide debate that exposed deep fault lines over doping protocols, privacy, data capture and other links in the chain of governance, evidence and suspension. These divisions, tactfully exploited by Russia with all the diplomatic skills and channels of a veteran UN Security Council member, also divided the Olympic Movement along geopolitical lines.

The crisis demonstrated that a global consensus on anti-doping issues seemed almost as distant as a universal position on reducing poverty, nuclear weapons, or carbon emissions.

While WADA’s powers and resources have been boosted with the support of the IOC, the Russia crisis has highlighted the need for further reforms, resources and powers for the world’s premier anti-doping system as amongst the most urgent challenge facing sport in the decade ahead.

While the doping controversy has become the most discussed topic in world sport, the last word should go to senior IOC member John Coates, who dispensed with diplomatic niceties and once described the Russia anti-doping system as “rotten to the core.”

Michael Pirrie is an international communications consultant and commentator on the Olympics, international sport and major events. Michael led London’s global media campaign against Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid in the British capital’s successful bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012, and was Executive Adviser to the Chair of London’s Olympic Organising Committee, Seb Coe.