On Monday the World Anti-Doping Agency unanimously voted to “ban” Russia from major international sporting events for the next four years, including the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Despite the tough talk and self-congratulatory rhetoric accompanying the announcement, WADA’s ruling is a gift to the Kremlin and a slap in the face to clean athletes. It is the latest example of a failed global anti-doping system that continues to be exploited by corrupt foreign powers for political gain.
On the final day of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, I watched three Russian skiers leave me and all the other athletes in the dust on their way to sweeping the podium in the 50km cross-country ski race; their speed after nearly two hours of competition seemed superhuman.