The CCES Commends WADA for Requesting a Public Hearing for RUSADA

(Ottawa, Ontario – February 5, 2020) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) commends the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) petition for an open, public proceeding for the Russian matter.

WADA’s request to the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) demonstrates strong leadership, which the global sport community expects with regards to the ongoing issue on RUSADA’s non-compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.   

A public hearing would provide stakeholders around the world, especially athletes, with a trust that the case is progressing in a transparent and credible manner that is consistent with the anti-doping processes and requirements to which they must adhere.   

The case against RUSADA stems from 2015 evidence of an extensive doping scheme and from allegations that forensic examination of analytical data WADA extracted from the Moscow Laboratory in 2019 was manipulated or deleted. As a result, Russia is disputing a four-year ban, during which they would not be allowed to participate in, host or bid for various events, including the Olympics, Paralympics and Code Signatories’ World Championships.