Six Australian States Back 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid

Football Federation Australia has confirmed that six State Governments are now formally backing Australia’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ bid for 2023, and will be in the mix to host matches if Australia is successful in its bid.

This follows the announcement that the Tasmanian Government has joined Western Australian, Victorian, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australian State Governments in supporting the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Bid and committing to host matches.

The huge success of the 2019 tournament in France led to a decision by FIFA to expand the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ to a 32-team tournament, up from 24. With the deadline for 2023 bid nations to submit their plans to FIFA fast approaching on 13 December, FFA looks forward to providing greater detail of its bid vision and concept later this month.

FFA Chairman, Mr Chris Nikou said: “I congratulate and thank the State Ministers and Governments for joining us in partnership to deliver the best FIFA Women’s World Cup™ football has ever seen. We are excited about submitting a compelling bid to FIFA shortly and hosting a World Cup that fans and players will never forget.

“Following the FFA’s pioneering collective bargaining agreement to close the gender pay gap between Australia’s national teams, and our 10-year funding plan to drive growth in women’s football, Australia is perfectly suited to work in full partnership with FIFA to take women’s football to a whole new level.”

Matildas Captain, Sam Kerr commented: “Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia would be a dream come true for me. There is so much untapped potential, not just in Australia but right across Asia and the Pacific region, that I really do believe we would offer something incredibly special to FIFA. I look forward to doing all that I can to support our bid right up to the last moment in May 2020 as this is my opportunity to give something back to the sport that has already given me so much.”

FFA Chief Operating Officer, Mr Mark Falvo added: “The FFA is delighted that six State Governments have so far shared our vision to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ to Australia. Having these Governments onside for our Bid, is a tremendous boost as we prepare to lodge the Bid book with FIFA in Zurich later this week. The prospect of playing matches right across the country is an exciting one for the millions of football fans in Australia and we are resolute in the belief that we can deliver an outstanding tournament in what will be an amazing chapter in the history of women’s football.”

FIFA will announce the host of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in May next year.

Inaugural Regional SportAccord Targets Governance Issues

Frank discussion of governance themes figured prominently on the conference programme as the very first Regional SportAccord event opened today in Fort Lauderdale.

Mayor Dean Trantalis welcomed delegates to the Florida city, where David Beckham’s new MLS team, Inter Miami CF, will play its first season in 2020 in a refurbished 18,000-seat stadium.

Fort Lauderdale is investing $40 million in upgrading its swimming infrastructure and the mayor said that he is also hoping to build a half-pipe for skateboarding.

SportAccord Regional Pan America is taking place at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, which will soon be transformed as part of a massive $1 billion project to transform the city as an event destination.

SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli, President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations, set the tone for the day’s proceedings with opening comments stressing the critical role of sport as a positive force in wider society.

In a presentation on the changing global landscape of sport, Andrew Ryan, Executive Director of the Association of Summer Olympic Federations, pointed to the growth and ageing of the world’s population as one of the key global trends impacting sport, with mass events and masters sports competitions growing in importance.

Governance of the IFs has been improving over the years. A dozen years ago, for example, only a handful of the federations published their accounts. Now almost all of them do.

But that’s a “quick fix,” he said. “The most difficult thing to do is to change the culture of governance.”

Chiulli agreed. The biggest barrier to change is the “mindset” that doesn’t see the need for long-time practices to change. He added that the process of improvement needs to be from the top down.

Stephan Fox, President of the Alliance Independent Recognised Members of Sport, who joined them on the opening panel said a public perception that governance is poor is a challenge to deal with and one that is not really fair.

“The number of bad eggs is actually very small,” he said. “The media should do a better job of highlighting the good things that sport does.”

 

Fort Lauderdale Ready to Welcome Sporting World to Inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019

Hundreds of leading sports officials and executives are arriving in Fort Lauderdale from across the globe to explore development opportunities in the Americas with the inaugural edition of Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 set to get underway. 

iSportconnect’s Jay Stuart and Brandon Garcia will be in attendance at the event so if you would like to engage then they will be available for the duration of the event.

A welcome reception tomorrow (Tuesday) evening from 7pm to 9pm will kick off proceedings before a packed conference programme runs across Wednesday and Thursday under the theme of ‘A United Approach to the International Sport Landscape in the Americas’ at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center.

A bustling exhibition and additional social events will provide further opportunities for dozens of sports commissions, regions and cities from across the Americas to forge closer relationships and explore opportunities with the international sports movement.

The conference programme will feature influential speakers such as Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF; Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations); Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), Vice President, GAISF; Ivar Sisniega, Secretary General, Panam Sports; and Nadia Comăneci, Five-time Olympic Gymnastic Gold Medallist.

Speakers from the USA, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador and Peru will also be featured on the programme, which will delve into topics including esports, good governance, social responsibility, knowledge transfer, safeguarding athletes, rebranding and the role of data in transforming host cities.

One of the speakers, Willie Banks, Council Member, World Athletics, two-time Olympian and former President of the US Olympians Association, said: “I am very happy that Regional SportAccord is taking place, because it is important that we communicate with each other about the strength of our region and find ways to improve the overall coordination of sport in the Americas.”

Prestigious Partners have also lined up to support the event, which is being hosted in Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County in partnership with International Sports & Health Associates and MGO Events.

Florida Sports Foundation, Greater Fort Lauderdale and Panam Sports have signed up as Gold Partners. The Silver Partners are Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance and Sarasota – Bradenton, while the Bronze Partners are CVB Leon, FITEQ (Fédération Internationale de Teqball) and Guadalajara.

The Top Media Partner is CNN, while the Official Media Partners are AFP, Connect Sports, Host City, iSportconnect, SportBusiness Group, Sportcal, SportsPro and Yutang Sports.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, said: “We are immensely grateful for the strong support of all our Partners for this highly anticipated gathering. 

“We have attracted a large number of representatives from the International Sports Federation community, as well as Ministries of Sport, National Olympic Committees, cities and regions across Pan America, underlining the strong commitment in supporting this inaugural edition.”

Follow Regional SportAccord via Twitter @sportaccord using #RSA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, and for media enquiries, email: info@regionalsportaccord.sport

LaLiga Celebrates Global Sports Entertainment At The Davis Cup

This year’s Davis Cup tournament had a different feel to it, having been re-designed into a week-long ‘World Cup of Tennis’ between 18 nations organised into groups, followed by knock-out rounds.

The new format, created to improve entertainment value for its spectators, bears a clear resemblance to the renowned FIFA tournament. For spectators, this was not the only new connection to the football world on display. During the entire tournament in Madrid, visitors were also able to discover LaLiga through a variety of different experiences.

Earlier this year, a four-year partnership was signed between the Spanish competition and the organisers of the Davis Cup, Kosmos Tennis and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), to assist the tournament in its aim to reach a wider global audience.

“The Davis Cup shares our vision for creating the most exciting competitions that entertain a global fanbase,” said Enrique Moreno, global brand director at LaLiga. “We will be sharing all of our expertise to help it achieve these goals, from our technology innovation to global digital trends.”

A wide range of these assets were on display at the Caja Mágica venue where the tournament was staged. Visitors to the LaLiga stand could try out two separate VR challenges that merged the worlds of tennis and football; a penalty-taking experience using tennis balls playing the role of either the taker or the goalkeeper.

In addition to this, fans could create memorable souvenirs via augmented reality. Using a green screen, fans could generate a personal GIF of themselves celebrating in tennis and football stadiums, while a separate experience allowed them to select their favourite LaLiga team and put themselves into a team photo with some of the first team players.

“Whether you prefer tennis or football, sport fans share a desire for modern and engaging experiences that bring them closer to their favourite clubs or players,” continued Moreno. “This has been a big part of our international growth in recent years and we are happy to see other sports follow the same path.”

To extend the reach of the tennis competition across digital platforms, LaLiga also shared clips of the action via its social media platforms, reaching an audience of millions around the world.

This approach is in keeping with LaLiga’s strategy for supporting other sports via its LaLigaSports programme. The LaLigaSportsTV over-the-top streaming service, for example, contains a tennis channel that streams matches organised by the Spanish tennis federation all year round.

In return, LaLiga also received widespread visibility as an event sponsor for Davis Cup, appearing in its global broadcasts and digital content.

https://twitter.com/LaLigaSports/status/1196820430104846336

In the build up to the tournament Kosmos Tennis, with the collaboration of LaLiga, came together for the first edition of the Kosmos Sports Summit, hosting relevant figures from the sector who debated the opportunities that emerging technologies and data analytics present to the sports and entertainment sector.

Gerard Piqué, president of Kosmos Tennis, explained that the better use of technology will help sports organisers to go one step further in the fan experience. “The main value of the sport is live matches, but the seats are limited,” he said. “One of the questions we ask the most is how we can improve the experience of those fans who can’t be present. Technology is key to offer them the most authentic experience possible.”

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, highlighted the importance of data analysis to help the industry to connect with wider audiences. “Four years ago we realized that you had information about those fans who did not go to the stadiums,” he said. “Without analysing this data, companies will struggle to attract younger audiences and there may be a disconnection with future generations.”

As the partnership continues, LaLiga will work alongside Kosmos and the ITF to share this expertise and help ensure that tennis, like football, remains an essential part of the sporting calendar.

ICC Chairman Manohar To Step Down

The International Cricket Council’s Independent Chairman Shashank Manohar is to step down in the summer of 2020.

Manohar was appointed the first Independent Chair of the ICC in 2016 and has announced he will not stand for re-election.

“I am not interested in continuing for another two-year term. Majority of directors have requested me to continue but I have told them that I do not wish to,” Manohar told Sportstar.

He added: “I have been the chairman for nearly five years. I am very clear, I do not want to continue from June 2020. My successor will be known next May. He has to be elected in May to take charge after me at the annual conference.”

Manohar will continue to lead until the ICC’s Annual Conference in Cape Town next July.

Formula 1 CEO: “Sponsorship Arenas Are Tougher Than A Few Years Ago”

Chief Executive of Formula One, Chase Carey, has admitted it has been more difficult than he has imagined to sell sponsorships for the sport since taking over in 2017.

Speaking to Motorsport.com Carey spoke about the challenges of trying to add to F1’s main sponsorship group: “Our cupboard was pretty bare, because we didn’t really have a sponsor group. We hadn’t created any tools. We hadn’t created capabilities to tell the story of F1, to create some excitement.

“We have some momentum today. We’ve had attendance up, we’ve had viewership up, we’ve got a good story, we’ve got new dimensions to the sport.

“And I think you need to tell that story, and you need to develop tools. Sponsors want partnerships that are more tailored uniquely to them. In the past signs on a wall worked fine, that doesn’t work now.”

However, Carey feels that F1 is on the right track going forward. He added: “Certainly, I’d say we feel we have gotten progressively better, as we’ve gone along. So while it’s been slower and harder than I would have planned it to be a couple of years ago, I think that in many ways is the nature of where we started, and we started really from ground zero.

“I think this is a sport sells well, it’s a unique sport with passionate fans, attractive fans, the sport differentiates from other sports, given it’s marriage to technology, given the nature of the sport, the global aspect of the sport.

“And at a point in time where events in a world that is increasingly commoditised and fragmented, events that rise above are reasonably valued. So I think the interest and engagement we have has been on a steady rise.

“I think in general for almost anybody in the ad market that isn’t Facebook or Google, the broadly defined advertising market, whether you’re television or God forbid, print, radio, even other digital players – certainly sponsorship arenas I think are tougher than it was a few years ago.”

Amazon Buys Champions League Rights In Germany

Amazon has claimed the rights to broadcast Champions League matches in Germany for three seasons, beginning in the 2021-22 campaign.

Following the first round of Premier League matches being broadcast on Amazon’s streaming service, they have now acquired 16 Champions League fixtures on Tuesday nights.

Alex Green, Managing Director of Prime Video Sport Europe, commented on the deal, saying: We’re excited to bring Uefa Champions League football to our customers in Germany.

“The Uefa Champions League is one of the most prestigious club competitions in the world. We’re delighted to bring the top-pick Tuesday matches to our customers from 2021.”

Member Insights: Thomas Lund, Secretary General of the Badminton World Federation, Reviews The Sport’s 2019 And Looks Ahead To 2020

With the 2019 BWF World Tour Finals starting on Wednesday in Guangzhou, China, iSportconnect decided it would be a good time to talk to Thomas Lund, Secretary General of the BWF, about how the sport has developed and progressed throughout the past 12 months and take the opportunity to look ahead at everything to come in 2020 for Badminton.

What have been the biggest changes within badminton during 2019?

It’s been a year where we have focused on growing our existing assets including hosting thrilling Major Championships with the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2019 in Nanning, China, the TOTAL BWF World Championships together with the TOTAL BWF Word Para Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland, and further building the HSBC BWF World Tour to reach out to even more global fans.

Our new AirBadminton project was launched in May this year and is one of the exciting new participation initiatives aimed at making badminton even more accessible with more people able to get more enjoyment from badminton by playing in an outdoor environment. With the launch of AirBadminton we hope to see it thrive in all badminton markets and we are delighted to see positive reaction to some of the first AirBadminton competitions and we hope this can also become a new exciting part of badminton’s future.

Which area of progression have you been most pleased about recently?

We are extremely satisfied with the successful staging of the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019 and TOTAL BWF Para Badminton World Championships 2019 concurrently for the very first time. Some 384 badminton players competed in the TOTAL BWF World Championships and close to 300 Para badminton athletes took to the courts in Basel, Switzerland, competing in 22 wheelchair and standing events. It was seven days of thrilling badminton and Para badminton action that showcased some of the most exciting matches seen in the sport and we believe it’s one of the first times that a Para Sport World Championships has been integrated fully into an able-bodied World Championships.

England’s Para badminton Short Stature (SH6) world champion Jack Shephard. Image: Alan Spink/BWF – Other images: BWF

For us this is a reflection of unity and diversity in badminton, and that Para badminton is now completely in sync with the BWF. The focus now turns to both badminton and Para badminton being showcased at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with Para badminton making its debut on the Paralympic sports programme. Earlier this year we also heard of the inclusion of Para badminton at Paris 2024 and this provides us with a great opportunity to build upon all the hard work that has been done in the lead up to Tokyo 2020 and to continue to create awareness of the sport and our development initiatives for the foreseeable future.

How do you continue to grow fan engagement at the BWF?

According to our 2018 Global Badminton Study conducted by Nielsen Sports, research has shown that outside of China, badminton is experiencing large-scale growth. The fan base is estimated to be 681 million across seven regions based on sample surveys conducted in 21 badminton markets globally. This is an increase of around 37% since 2015 on those same 21 markets. For 2018, the survey added 15 additional markets, increasing the badminton fan base by 54 million and bringing the total number of badminton fans globally in 35 markets to be an estimated 735 million fans across seven regions. In fact, we are now ranked third behind football and basketball and ahead of tennis, motorsport and golf in terms of total fans when measured in those 21 key countries.

One area we are behind on is leveraging influencers and utilising athletes as ambassadors to get more people talking about badminton. This is something we are working very hard on at the moment…

Our next efforts are to tell the world about this. Our digital and TV coverage is the biggest it has ever been and with superstars like Pusarla V Sindhu who is ranked 13th in Forbes’ Highest-Paid Female Athletes list for 2019 with US$5.5 million in earnings, we feel badminton is starting to be talked about more and more. Our simple strategy to capitalise on this is to strengthen the bond between our fans and our athletes, so our stars are more accessible to the world. And this includes converting the huge number of active participants we have globally into everyday fans. One area we are behind on is leveraging influencers and utilising athletes as ambassadors to get more people talking about badminton. This is something we are working very hard on at the moment and are looking forward to unveiling some exciting new projects very soon.

How much of a focus do you place on social media to grow the sport?

We see the digital sphere as being a crucial asset to communicate with the younger generation and to target new and potential fan bases. We are placing considerable resources into improving and expanding our existing digital and social media presence and over the course of the next 12 months you will begin to see exciting new developments both on our Anglophone and Chinese platforms. Naturally, there’s huge potential in China with an existing participation group of around 149.4 million. As we start to build our digital presence and fully utilise the capabilities of digital and social media platforms in China, as well as bringing the athlete-fan relationship close together, we feel we will start to see a shift in our online fan numbers, too.

Are there any big changes you are going to implement in the next 12 months?

In the first quarter of 2020, we expect the first AirShuttles to be on the shelf and available for public purchase. AirBadminton, and specifically the creation of the AirShuttle, is BWF’s ambitious new development project designed to create opportunities for people of all ages and ability to play badminton on hard, grass and sand surfaces in parks, gardens, streets, playgrounds and beaches around the world. We had the Global Launch in May 2019 using a number of prototype AirShuttles and since then, the emphasis has been on working with leading sports manufacturers to mass produce and rollout the AirShuttle.

The project has been five years in the making, starting with a vision to develop a new outdoor shuttlecock with increased durability, stability and wind resistance to allow people to have a more positive experience of badminton outdoors. The main considerations were that it must be played with the same rackets and have good flight performance, spin response and durability. We fully acknowledge that playing badminton is not a new concept, in fact, many children’s first exposure to badminton is in an outdoor environment, but for us it’s about creating a product that is more suitable for everyone to play in an outdoor environment. Right now, we are still on our original timeline and we expect the mass production of the AirShuttle to begin at the end of 2019 with the shuttle available to the public in the first quarter of 2020. In the meantime, we have sufficient samples to continue the testing and piloting process of AirBadminton and the AirShuttle.

What are you most looking forward to in 2020, how much of a focus does the Olympics take?

Our aim is to continue the growth of badminton as forecasted in our strategic plans. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games are of course a big highlight next year, and the fact Para badminton is debuting at Tokyo 2020 is certainly a landmark occasion for our sport. It is fantastic for our players and wider badminton community to be accepted into the Paralympic Games and to be part of the programme. Japan is also a fitting backdrop to present our Olympic and Paralympic disciplines where Japan has for many years been hosting numerous tournaments being considered among the best and most prestigious tournaments by our players. Regarding the Olympics, we are very much looking forward to the badminton competition at Tokyo 2020. With Japan’s fantastic pedigree in the sport and recent successes, the atmosphere at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza will be amazing.

Both the Olympics and the Paralympics do assume a large chunk of our focus for a 12 month period with a lot of planning, preparation and coordination with the hosts taking place, but we are also very mindful of all other aspects of the organisation where we will continue to develop and grow the HSBC BWF World Tour and before Tokyo 2020 we will invite our fans to experience the crowning of new world team champions at the thrilling TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cups competitions being hosted in Aarhus, Denmark, in May. All of these core tournament activities provide a great platform to promote the sport and to increase our efforts of getting more people to play more badminton.

2020 Seating: English Football, Safe Standing And The General Election…

The three main political parties in this week’s United Kingdom general election do not agree on a particularly large number of issues, however there is one issue that unifies all three groups – safe standing at football matches.

All three have included introducing safe standing at football stadia in their election manifestos, so it appears the issue could finally be set to see a resolution.

After years of fan campaigning for standing, why now?

There are two main reasons. Firstly, safe standing is deemed to be popular and once one party had promised it the others probably felt they had to do likewise, just to ensure that they weren’t going to lose votes as a result. Secondly, since the installation of “dual-purpose seats” i.e. seats with rails at Tottenham and barrier seats at Wolverhampton Wanderers there has been standing at Premier League matches anyway.

So, if standing is here already, what are these parties promising to introduce? 

That’s not clear, however the new installations at Tottenham and Wolves are, in practice, seating areas where everyone stands. After the election, these fans will be deemed to be standing in designated standing areas.

What will change when the next Government introduces safe standing? 

A club such as West Bromwich Albion, who had their application for rail seating rejected, will presumably be able to re-submit the same application and have it approved.

It may be that clubs can introduce a standing-only area i.e. with no seats at all, but this has many inherent issues. 

Campaigners have always hoped that by reintroducing standing more fans will be allowed onto the same terraces i.e. an increased density of fans on the terraces. The hope is that ticket prices can be reduced because clubs will be able to sell more tickets. 

Before capacities can be increased and more fans admitted, every other relevant issue must be checked to ensure that access and egress, concourse sizes, toilets and other key aspects of the stadium operation can all cope with more people. If not, the required additional investment may be prohibitive.

However, the world has moved on since fans were crammed onto standing terraces in the 1970s. The terraces built for all seated stadia are steeper than terraces designed for standing, which means that additional guardrails are essential if standing is going to be allowed onto terraces designed for seating. 

There were crushes and crowd surges in the 70’s which would be even more dangerous on today’s steeper terraces. Barriers would mitigate these risks and crowd numbers would have to be carefully managed to ensure that there is no over-crowding. Barriers would need to be high enough to be perfectly safe. 

Currently seats with rails and barrier seats are 800 / 900mm high which is safer than no barrier at all but not as safe as it is possible to be – that would require a fully compliant 1.1m guardrail. Only the 2020 seat delivers this.

Are there any other considerations associated with standing?

Given that almost every part of our lives has been rebuilt so that disabled and vulnerable people can access the same buildings as their more able-bodied counterparts, it would be an odd move to go back to standing-only sections of stadia. 

Creating standing-only terraces would be a retrograde step that would force some groups of fans to be spilt up or have to relocate to other areas, as some of them can’t stand for 90 mins or are too short to see, if others are standing.

Post-election, standing areas in stadia without some form of seating is therefore possible but very unlikely, particularly as this is not currently allowed for any UEFA-organised match. It is more likely that clubs will follow the lead of Tottenham and Wolverhampton by introducing “dual-purpose” seating. 

If clubs install the rail seats or seats with barriers then everyone in that section will have to stand for the whole match or move to another part of the stadium to sit in a conventional seat – however, this is a potential problem for some away fans as don’t have the choice to go elsewhere in the stadium and therefore will always be disadvantaged.

Clubs can avoid these dilemmas by installing 2020 seats which give the best of all options to everyone. Whereas fans using the seats with rails or barriers are expected to stand, installing 2020 seats will allow fans to sit or stand as and when they feel like it. Fan surveys have highlighted that most fans don’t want to stand all of the time and the 2020 seats allows each fan to dictate how long they are on their feet.

The 2020 seat is first and foremost a seat that most fans will sit on for some of the time but, importantly it allows fans to safely stand without impacting the enjoyment of others.

2020 seats can be seen at Adams Park, Wycombe Wanderers FC, Easter Road, Hibernian FC and can be researched at www.2020seat.co.uk

WADA Hands Out Four-Year Sporting Events Ban To Russia

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee has unanimously endorsed the recommendation made by the independent Compliance Review Committee that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency be declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code for a period of four years.

This will see Russian competitors banned from both the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, among other major events.

Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, the 12-member ExCo supported the CRC’s recommendation, which includes a series of strong consequences and conditions of reinstatement in accordance with the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS).

The Chair of the CRC, Jonathan Taylor QC, took ExCo members through the CRC’s recommendation, which had been provided to ExCo members on 25 November together with the report of WADA Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) and that of the independent forensic experts from Lausanne University’s Institute of Forensic Science. This was followed by a number of questions from members, and discussions on specific aspects of the recommendation.

WADA President Sir Craig Reedie said: “The ExCo’s strong decision today shows WADA’s determination to act resolutely in the face of the Russian doping crisis, thanks to the Agency’s robust investigatory capability, the vision of the CRC, and WADA’s recently acquired ability to recommend meaningful sanctions via the Compliance Standard which entered into effect in April 2018. Combined, these strengths have enabled the ExCo to make the right decisions at the right time.

“For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport. The blatant breach by the Russian authorities of RUSADA’s reinstatement conditions, approved by the ExCo in September 2018, demanded a robust response. That is exactly what has been delivered today. Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order and re-join the global anti-doping community for the good of its athletes and of the integrity of sport, but it chose instead to continue in its stance of deception and denial. As a result, the WADA ExCo has responded in the strongest possible terms, while protecting the rights of Russian athletes that can prove that they were not involved and did not benefit from these fraudulent acts.

“On behalf of the ExCo, and of the many WADA stakeholders that supported the CRC recommendation, I would like to thank the members of the CRC for their expert and considered recommendation, as well as WADA I&I and the forensic experts for their skill, diligence and perseverance in getting to the bottom of this highly complex case.”