WC qualifiers still on

An official linked to the World Anti-Doping Agency said yesterday that Russia can participate in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup despite receiving a four-year ban from major global sporting events.

WADA’s executive committee placed the suspension on Russia earlier in the day after accusing Moscow of falsifying laboratory doping data handed over to investigators this year.

“Because the qualifiers don’t decide the world champion, Russia can take part. The decision applies to the World Cup tournament because it decides the world champion,” said Jonathan Taylor, chairman of WADA’s Compliance Review Committee.

World football’s governing body said earlier on Monday it was seeking clarification about the extent of the suspension. Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup.

Russia will be ruled out of the next Olympic cycle, and its government’s officials will be barred from attending any major events, while the country will lose the right to host, or even bid, for tournaments.

Under the sanctions, Russian athletes will still be allowed to compete at the Olympics next year and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics but only if they can demonstrate that they were not part of what WADA believes was a state-sponsored system of doping.

Russia’s participation at Euro 2020, in which Saint Petersburg will host four matches, is not affected by the ban because it is not defined as a “major event” for anti-doping purposes.

What they said

Totally not surprised about this outcome. Today is a very shameful day and I never believed the promises that everything will be OK. I will continue fighting for my own right to compete, even under a neutral flag.

-- Maria Lasitsekne, three-time high-jump

World Champion

We got what we deserved. We have so many former athletes in the State Duma, couldn’t they sort out this mess? I am with WADA on this one.

-- Alexander Tikhonov, four-time Olympic

biathlon champion

WADA is trying to drive a wedge between Russian athletes and the state. This is not about sports, it is purely politics.

-- Vasily Titov, head of the Russian Olympic

summer sports federations

I have no words... How can you mock athletes who have been preparing all their lives for this?

-- Aslanbek Khushtov, wresting

gold medallist.