DISINFO: No Russian flag at Olympics due to Western pressure
SUMMARY
Russia has been banned from participating in international sports events for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) originally asked for a four-year ban. Thus, there will not be Russian flags and the Russian anthem won’t be played due to pressure from an agency seated in America.
RESPONSE
The claims made by the article fit into general disinformation narratives concerning anti-Russian sentiments in the West.
There is no evidence that World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) pressured the Court of Arbitration to decide against Russia. The Court actually halved the penalty originally imposed by WADA.
Moreover, WADA can hardly be considered an American agency. Its seat is in Lausanne, Switzerland, albeit its headquarters are in Montreal, Canada. The agency's statutes are subject to formal approval and agreement of Swiss authorities. The Court is also seated in Lausanne.
The court ruling stated that the panel of judges "imposed consequences to reflect the nature and seriousness of the non-compliance and to ensure that the integrity of sport against the scourge of doping is maintained". The verdict specifically states that the "The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (“RUSADA”) is found to be non-compliant with the World AntiDoping Code (“WADC”) in connection with its failure to procure that the authentic LIMS data and underlying analytical data of the former Moscow Laboratory was received by WADA."