Russia banned from using its name and flag at next two Olympics

Russia is now banned from using its name, flag, and anthem at the next two Olympics or any such world championships for two years after a rule was passed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.

The Lausanne-based court halved the four-year ban which was prosed last year by the World Anti-Doping Agency in a landmark case that accused Russia of state-ordered tampering of testing laboratory database in Moscow. The ruling further went on to block the country from hosting major sport events for two years.

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Russian athletes and teams will still be allowed to compete at next year's Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, as well as world championships including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, if they are not implicated in doping or covering up positive tests.

One small win for Russia is the proposed team name at major events. The name "Russia'' can be retained on uniforms if the words "Neutral Athlete'' or "Neutral Team'' have equal prominence, the court said.

The burden of proof was also shifted away from Russian athletes and more toward WADA when it comes to their doping history being vetted for selection to the Olympics or other sporting events.

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