Russia's anti-doping chief said Tuesday he expected the World Anti-Doping Agency to uphold a recommendation that Russia be barred from all sporting competition for four years.
"That's the reality," RUSADA chief Yury Ganus told AFP after a key WADA panel made the recommendation on Monday, accusing Moscow of falsifying laboratory data handed over to investigators.
"We are plunging, for the next four years, into a new phase of Russia's doping crisis," Ganus said.
"Four years is a long time, that's two Olympic Games," he said.
Ganus said Russia urgently needed new sports management and called on President Vladimir Putin to intervene.
"Honestly, I am waiting for the president to take an active part in this."
"There are a lot of problems in sports here but the most difficult and tragic thing is that our athletes have become hostages of the actions of our sports officials."
"We need new sports leaders."
The proposed punishments followed what WADA investigators described as "an extremely serious" case of non-compliance "with several aggravating features."