On the same day as the International Olympic Committte (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) filed a notice of intervention on the Russian doping case, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has also decided to join the legal fight.
The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) case between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is expected to be go on trial soon. WADA had slapped Russia with a four year ban, which covers major global events including the Olympic Games and football World Cup, over supposed manipulation of lab data provided to the organization by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).
The IOC and IPC have confirmed that the only purpose of their intervention was limited to the interest of the IOC and the IPC that the pronounced sanctions were clear, leaves no room for any interpretation and could be applied without any further procedures.
“The purpose of the intervention is not to intervene in the assessment of the consequences or sanctions by CAS,” said the statement form the two bodies.
WADA had filed an official request with CAS on January 9, asking the court to resolve the dispute.
The ROC, meanwhile, intents to join the legal fight against the four-year ban handed to Russia.
Under the sanctions, which saw Russia declared non-compliant with the WADA Code – Russian athletes not implicated in previous doping accusations would only be allowed to compete as neutrals at world championships, with the nation’s flag and anthem banned.
If CAS rejects that appeal, the WADA sanctions would come into effect.
The ROC will join the case as a third party to ensure that sanctions were not applied to Russian athletes and that they are allowed to compete at the Olympics under the Russian flag and in national colors.
The ROC believes that as an organization which has had no accusations leveled against it by WADA, it would contravene the rights of athletes for Russia to be banned from competing at the Games.
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