The Court of Arbitration for Sport (we hadn't heard of it either) ruled yesterday that the doping, cheating Russian Federation is barred from using their name, flag and anthem for the next two Olympic games (Tokyo 2021 and Beijing 2022). Regrettably, the Court reduced the term of the ban from four years down to two, and allowed the athletes to have "Russia" on their uniforms.
The Court didn't ban the dope-friendly Russian athletes themselves from competing, only having their country's symbols honored. It also covers other international sporting events, including the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and prohibits Russia from bidding to host major sporting events for two years.
After years of continued military aggression in Ukraine, interference in the affairs of other nations including assassinations on their soil, and serious human right violations domestically, Russia should have been banned outright from participating in any international events for four years at a minimum. Period.
