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The suspension of the Russian anti-doping agency (Rusada) was lifted despite widespread opposition.
The Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has ended three years of suspension following a major doping scandal.
Leading athletes, anti-doping organizations and Wada Vice President Linda Helleland opposed the initiative.
Wada President Sir Craig Reedie said reinstatement was "subject to strict conditions".
"This decision provides a clear timetable for Wada to have access to data and samples from the former Moscow laboratory," said the 77-year-old Briton.
He said the "vast majority" of the 12-member committee had voted in favor of the recommendation at a meeting in Seychelles.
Rusada has been suspended since 2015 for allegations of state-sponsored doping after being accused of hiding drug addiction – including while the country hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Last week, Wada's compliance committee had recommended the reinstatement of Rusada after receiving assurances from Russia's sports ministry, saying the country had "sufficiently recognized" the failures.
The UK Anti-Doping Agency (Ukad) has partnered with other major national anti-doping organizations around the world to request the postponement of any decision by Wada.
But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission said on Wednesday "agreed in principle" with the recommendation to end the suspension.
Russia was sentenced to meet certain criteria before being able to readmit Rusada, including: accepting the conclusions of the McLaren report on state-sponsored doping and allowing access to Moscow's anti-doping laboratory.
Russia repeatedly denied the implementation of a state-sponsored doping program and continued to deny full access and maintain control of its Moscow laboratory.
Wada's position seems to be easing, after BBC Sport revealed the details of a compromise proposed by Wada's president, Reedie, and managing director Olivier Niggli to Russia's sports minister, which was finally accepted.
How did the scandal unfold?
- December 2014: Nearly 99% of Russian athletes are guilty of doping, according to a German TV documentary.
- November 2015: A Wada commission publishes an independent report alleging widespread corruption, tantamount to state-sponsored doping in Russian athletics. Rusada is declared non-compliant.
- May 2016: Former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, who was whistleblower, says that dozens of Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi had cheated.
- July 2016: Russia has run a state-sponsored doping program for four years in the "vast majority" of summer and winter Olympic sports, according to a report by Professor Richard McLaren.
- August 2016: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides not to impose a general ban on Russian athletes at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Individual sports federations dominate instead, with 271 Russians competing.
- December 2016: Wada publishes the second part of the McLaren report according to which more than 1,000 Russian athletes have benefited from doping.
- January 2017: Russian and Russian sports authorities provided a list of criteria to reach before reconquering recognition.
- March 2017: Wada says Russia's anti-doping reforms are not happening fast enough.
- February 2018: Russia is banned from participating in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea by the IOC, but 169 athletes who prove their cleanliness are allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
- May 2018: Wada writes to Rusada to propose a compromise solution.
- September 2018: The news of the compromise, revealed by the BBC, arouses the fury of athletes and doping organizations.
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