DISINFO: Russian athletes face sanctions because of Western Russophobia and Russia's compliance
SUMMARY
Why Russian athletes remain hostages of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which continues its flagrant Russophobia? Just because the WADA can afford to do it. In contrast to diplomatic, economic, military, energy spheres and others, Russian sport chose not to argue with the WADA, the International Association of Athletics Federations, etc. This is largely because the degree of globalisation and unipolarism is higher in sport than in the above mentioned spheres. Russian sport organisations have fulfilled all requirements in hope that this would solve the problems. These hopes were dashed. And this speaks for itself how right Russia was in all other spheres where it did not follow the West’s instructions. This story proves that Russia will be punished by the West simply because the latter can do so, not for Russia’s alleged wrongdoings.
RESPONSE
This is an illustrative example of the recurring pro-Kremlin propagandistic narrative about ubiquitous Russophobia in the Western countries and international organisations, targeting WADA in this particular instance. For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings and look at earlier disinformation cases alleging that there is no evidence that Russian athletes used doping and that banning Russia from the Olympics is a modern form of racism.
On 25 November 2019 one of WADA's key committees has recommended that Russia face a four-year ban from global sports and new restrictions on its athletes and teams at next year’s Tokyo Olympics, subject to WADA's board review in December. WADA reinstated Russia’s antidoping agency in 2018 but reserved the right to issue stronger punishments if Russia did not provide athletes’ testing data from the Moscow laboratory. Earlier the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang in 2018 due to the systemic manipulation of anti-doping rules during the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Individual athletes from Russia competed under the Olympic flag. "Three years ago, Russia was caught running one of the most sophisticated doping programs in sports history," New York Times writes.