Support The Moscow Times!

Russia, Facing Possible Olympic Ban, Pledges to Work with Anti-Doping Authorities

David J. Phillip / AP / TASS

Russia will fully cooperate with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and international sports authorities after a WADA committee recommended imposing a four-year Olympic ban on the country, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

The WADA committee recommended this week that Russia be banned from the Olympics and world championships in a wide range of sports for four years after Moscow was found to have provided the agency with doctored laboratory data.

The committee's recommendations will be put to WADA's executive committee in Paris on Dec. 9.

"The Russian authorities have been, are, and will be highly open to cooperation with the international sports community as well as with WADA," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

Russian sports officials on Tuesday spoke out against the committee's recommendations, saying they were overly harsh and would hurt sport there.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more