Russia to appeal four-year doping sanctions within 10-15 days
VIDEO SHOWS: CHAIR OF RUSADA'S SUPERVISORY BOARD, ALEXANDER IVLEV, SAYS THAT RUSSIA WILL APPEAL DOPING SANCTIONS / RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY RUSADA OFFICE
RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT.
SHOWS: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. CHAIR OF RUSADA'S SUPERVISORY BOARD, ALEXANDER IVLEV, IN FRONT OF JOURNALISTS
2. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHAIR OF RUSADA'S SUPERVISORY BOARD, ALEXANDER IVLEV, SAYING:
"A letter expressing our disagreement will be presented (to the World Anti-Doping Agency - WADA) on behalf of the head of the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) before the deadline. (JOURNALIST ASKING WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN) This will happen soon, I expect in the next 10-15 days."
3. BANNER ON WALL READING (English): "CLEAN SPORT"
4. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHAIR OF RUSADA'S SUPERVISORY BOARD, ALEXANDER IVLEV, SAYING:
"The decision to disagree with WADA'S decision on December 9 was taken (by RUSADA). Next we write a letter expressing our disagreement, send it to WADA and then WADA will have the right to decide whether a legal approach through the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) is needed."
5. MEDIA
6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHAIR OF RUSADA'S SUPERVISORY BOARD, ALEXANDER IVLEV, SAYING:
"As you know, we had a dialogue with WADA experts. Unfortunately, we had different positions, that's why a legal approach will probably be taken."
7. MEDIA
8. IVLEV LEAVING
9. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY RUSADA OFFICE EXTERIORS
STORY: Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA said on Thursday (December 19) it will appeal sanctions barring the country's athletes from competing under its flag at top international sporting events within 10 to 15 days.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier in December banned the country's flag and anthem from events, including the Olympics, for four years as punishment for having provided it with doctored laboratory data.
It also barred Russia from hosting or bidding for major sporting events during that period.
The country's top officials had branded the sanctions unfair, saying it was part of broader attempts by the West to punish Russia, and had pledged to appeal.
"RUSADA will appeal against the WADA decision within 10 to 15 days," Alexander Ivlev, chair of RUSADA's supervisory board, was quoted as saying by TASS.
Yuri Ganus, the head of RUSADA who is not a member of the supervisory board, has said he does not see any chance of winning an appeal.
The case will now be referred to the Court or Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
Russia, which has traditionally been a powerhouse in many sports, has been embroiled in doping scandals since a 2015 WADA report found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics.
Many of Russia's athletes were sidelined from the past two Olympics and the country stripped of its flag altogether at last year's Pyeongchang Winter Games as punishment for state-sponsored doping cover-ups at the 2014 Sochi Games.
(Production: Anastasia Adasheva, Dmitry Madorsky)
