Explainer: Why are Russians not competing under their flag in Beijing?

BEIJING (Reuters) - The Russian athletes taking part at this month's Beijing Olympics will be competing without their flag and national anthem because of doping sanctions.

Here is why sanctions were imposed on Russian sport and what they mean for the country's athletes.

WHY ARE THERE SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA?

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed sanctions against RUSADA, Russia's national anti-doping agency, in December 2019. The measures carried a series of consequences for Russian sport on the global stage.

WADA said Russian authorities had "brazenly and illegally manipulated" data from the Moscow Laboratory, despite their handover being a condition for RUSADA's reinstatement.

The agency had been declared "non-compliant" by WADA in November 2015 after a report found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics.

The WADA sanctions, among other things, barred Russia from flying its flag at major sporting events for a four-year period. The sanctions were later halved after a Russian appeal.

WHAT HAS RUSSIA DONE ABOUT IT?

RUSADA appealed against the decision at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In December 2020, CAS - sport's highest court - ruled to partially uphold the sanctions but halved them to two years. The sanctions are set to end on Dec. 16, 2022.

The sanctions bar Russia from hosting, bidding or being awarded hosting rights for major international sporting events, including the Olympic and world championships.

They also bar the country from flying its flag and having its anthem played at such events.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR RUSSIAN ATHLETES IN BEIJING?

The Russian delegation in Beijing, which includes 212 athletes, cannot display the country's tricolour flag or any national