|
MOSCOW (Reuters) -
The Kremlin said on Friday a court ruling partially upholding
Russia's Olympic doping ban was regrettable and that Moscow
viewed it negatively, though it added it was good the sanctions
would still allow Russian athletes to compete.
Russian athletes will be barred from competing under the
country's flag at major international events, including the
Olympics, until 2022 after a Swiss court on Thursday upheld
doping sanctions but halved the original four-year ban.
"Of course we regret this (ruling), we view it negatively,"
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "But at the same time, the
main thing is that athletes are getting the right to take part
in competitions" as neutral competitors.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the measures were "the
strongest set of consequences ever imposed on any country for
doping-related offences."
Russian officials, despite their disappointment at more
sanctions, focused on the fact the outcome was not worse and
that Russians will still be taking part in the world's most
prestigious sporting events.
"The outcome today is a victory for Russia," Mikhail Bukhanov,
acting director of Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, said on
Thursday. "CAS did not restrict clean athletes' right to compete
at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as at world
championships."
Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said it was "positive" that the
sanctions would only last until December 2022, instead of four
years.
(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Writing by Tom Balmforth and
Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark
Potter)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
