The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday upheld an international sports ban levied against Russia for doping, but cut the duration of the ban in half from four years to two.
The long-awaited ruling, handed down by a panel of three arbitrators at the Swiss-based court, will bar Russia's flag and anthem from appearing at each of the next two Olympic Games, among other major international competitions through Dec. 16, 2022.
Though the court reduced the duration of the ban, its ruling nevertheless represents a victory for the World Anti-Doping Agency, which implemented the ban last year after WADA investigators found that Russia had tampered with drug-testing data.