WADA panel recommends neutral status for Russia at Olympics

MONTREAL (AP) — A key World Anti-Doping Agency panel has recommended Russian athletes be forced to compete as neutrals at next year’s Olympics in Tokyo and other major events.

WADA’s compliance review committee has recommended a four-year ban on hosting major events in Russia and a ban for the same period on flying the Russian flag at major competitions.

The WADA executive committee will rule on the recommendations on Dec. 9.

That follows a lengthy investigation into lab data handed over by Russia in January. That was part of a deal to lift a suspension of the Russian anti-doping agency, and was meant to expose past cover-ups of drug use by Russian athletes.

Instead, the WADA panel says data on hundreds of positive tests were removed.

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