Russia most often violated anti-doping rules in 2019, 167 violations were registered
Photo: Christinne Muschi / Reuters
Russia became the leader in the number of anti-doping rule violations in 2019. This was announced in the release of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In 2019, 167 anti-doping rule violations were recorded in Russia. The highest numbers were found in athletics (35), weightlifting (21) and powerlifting (14).
The top three countries with the highest number of violations also included Italy (157) and India (152). In the US national team, WADA revealed 62 violations.
The largest number of violations by type of sport was recorded in bodybuilding – 272 cases. Also, a large number of violations were identified in athletics (227), cycling (179), weightlifting (160) and powerlifting (119).
In December 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned Russia from flying its flag at international competitions until December 16, 2022. The measure also applies to the holding of the Olympic Games and World Championships in the country.
The punishment was eased following the sanctions imposed by WADA in December 2019. Then Russia was deprived of the right to hold international competitions for four years, and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency was also deprived of its compliance status due to manipulations with the database of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory.
