Drug Free Sport New Zealand says athletes have again been let down following the Court of Arbitration for Sports decision to reduce Russia's sporting ban
Russian athletes will be barred from competing at major international events, including the Olympics, under the country's flag until the end of 2022 after the court of arbitration for sport court upheld doping sanctions but halved the original four-year ban.
The World Anti-Doping Agency had originally banned Russia from the world's top sporting events for four years in December last year for systemic doping and coverups.
DFSNZ Chief Executive Nick Paterson "remains frustrated" by the result.
DFSNZ chief executive Nick Paterson Photo: Supplied: DFSNZ
"An athlete can get a four year sanction, but it's breath-taking that a country receives only two years from the highest court in sport, after a state sponsored doping system and a brazen attempt to hide the evidence and interfere with an investigation. How can we look our athletes in the eye and say that it is fair?," he said.
Russian athletes and teams will still be allowed to compete at next year's Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, as well as world championships including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, if they are not implicated in doping or covering up positive tests but won't be able to do so under the Russian banner.
"It is incongruous that a Russian flag will not be allowed on a uniform, but the full Russian colours are. For this sanction to be meaningful, a neutral athlete at the Olympics and Paralympics should not look like a Russian athlete by any other name.
"The goal of the worldwide anti-doping system is to have clear rules and consequences for breaking those rules. CAS will publish its full decision next week, and we look forward to gaining a better understanding of some of the disappointing aspects of the decision.
"Until then, we feel like the system and its leadership has let athletes down. Nonetheless we hope this might finally draw a line under this saga, and all stakeholders can work together to ensure this situation is not repeated in future."
-RNZ
