WADA prepared for CAS hearing with Russian Anti-Doping Agency

Montreal, 30 October 2020 – The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) arbitration procedure with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) will be heard before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from 2-5 November in Lausanne, Switzerland.

WADA President Witold Bańka said: "WADA has left no stone unturned in preparation for this hearing and we are looking forward to having the opportunity to present our case clearly and fairly to the Panel. I remain convinced that the WADA Executive Committee made the right recommendation in this case last December. As at every other stage, we are following due process in relation to RUSADA’s compliance procedure as we continue to deal effectively with this complex matter."

The hearing relates to the unanimous WADA Executive Committee (ExCo) decision of 9 December 2019, to endorse the recommendation made by the independent Compliance Review Committee that RUSADA be declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code for a period of four years, with a range of consequences attached. This followed the results of an investigation that alleged data from the Moscow Laboratory was intentionally altered prior to and while it was being forensically copied by WADA in January 2019, in contravention of RUSADA’s reinstatement conditions, approved by the ExCo in September 2018.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions in place around the world, the hearing will take place in a mixed format with parties, legal representatives and witnesses attending either in person or virtually, via a video link. WADA had requested that the hearing be held in public but for that to happen all parties were required to be in agreement and that was not the case.

WADA will not be holding any media briefing or conference prior to the arbitral award being announced by CAS.

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