The Russian Anti-Doping Agency, which was heavily criticised by Dick Pound’s independent commission report last week, has been suspended after being declared “non-compliant with immediate effect” at a Wada meeting in Colorado. The news follows last Friday’s decision by the IAAF, athletics’ global governing body, to ban Russia’s track and field athletes from competing in international competition.

The World Anti-Doping Agency described the decision as “a pivotal moment for sport.” It means the Moscow laboratory that processed blood and urine samples from its country’s athletes has been decertified and Russia now has no functioning national anti-doping body to test its athletes in any sport.

“Firm action was requested following the report highlighting deficiencies in Russian athletics’ anti-doping system,” Wada insisted. “And firm action is now being taken.”

Rusada is not the only national anti-doping agency to feel Wada’s wrath. Its compliance review committee also declared Andorra, Israel, Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine non-compliant and gave them until 18 March to comply.

As Wada’s spokesman, Ben Nichols, explained: “Andorra and Israel were declared non-compliant after it was deemed they did not have sufficient anti-doping rules in place. Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine were declared non-compliant for using non-accredited laboratories for their urine and blood sample analysis ? this is prohibited under world anti-doping rules.”

Belgium, Brazil, France, Greece, Mexico and Spain were put on a compliance “watch list” and given four months to put their houses in order.

Wada is unable to take action directly against countries it declares to be non-compliant. However stakeholders ? such as the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and other major sporting bodies ? can impose consequences.

In theory a country declared non-compliant runs the risk of missing next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio. In practice, such a cataclysmic decision is still a long way off.

“The message is clear ? there will now be greater focus on strengthening compliance work so all anti-doping organisations worldwide are held accountable to deliver robust anti-doping programs,” said Wada’s president, Sir Craig Reedie.

“Our priority is now on ensuring all our partners are fully compliant and have watertight anti-doping systems that protect clean athletes and reassure sports fans worldwide. Make no mistake, we will not rush this process of compliance, we will do it right - the integrity of sport is under threat.

“Anti-doping in sport is under the spotlight today like never before, and Wada, along with our partners, have begun the work needed on the road to recovery for Russia. The world is watching and we have acted. We will conduct the necessary meetings with the Russian authorities in respect of the non-compliance status of Rusada that tests athletes in all sports within Russia.

“A Wada expert team will then meet with the task of ensuring the continuation of testing in Russia. Any information brought forward to me as a result will allow me to make a considered decision on whether or not to extend the independent commission’s mandate.”

“The theme of the day has clearly been investigations. I will now write to all public authority stakeholders and ask them to make further contributions specifically to fund anti-doping investigations. Following any commitments made, I will then immediately approach the International Olympic Committee to seek matching funding.”

The possibility of further punishment against Russia has been raised by a senior figure in winter sport, who suggested the results at the Sochi Olympics , where Russia topped the medal table, could be “completely worthless” because of doping.

The US Biathlon chief executive, Max Cobb, said last week’s independent commission report, which uncovered evidence of widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs in Russian athletics and allegations of corruption and collusion by Russian and IAAF officials, had also raised issues with testing in Sochi. “The way I read the report, the testing that took place in Sochi is at least suspect and perhaps completely worthless,” Cobb said. “That raises huge questions.”

Pound has told Russia that fixing their doping problems should be “child’s play” for a country that spent billions building the venues for the Winter Olympics in Sochi from scratch in seven years ? but warned its politicians they need to go “full speed ahead” if they want their athletes to compete in Rio.

“All you need is some direction from the political authorities and say: ‘Look, Rusada is independent and the lab is independent and anybody who doesn’t make that happen is in trouble,’” Pound said. “The same with coaches, you say: ‘Folks the old Soviet system is over, we’re not going to do that any more and if that is your method of coaching, don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.’

“If they want to be there for Rio they’ve got to go full speed ahead. If they start fighting over everything then fine, take your time, all the time you want but you are not going to work on your tan next summer.”

The German documentary maker Hajo Seppelt, whose undercover work in Russia exposed much of the cheating and corruption that led to Pound’s report, said he was unconcerned by reports that some Russian athletes were planning to sue him and his whistleblowers.

Seppelt told: “It would not be the first time that people from Russia try to do that. So far no one had success, even not in a Russian court. The truth is obvious and overwhelming ? Wada’s independent commission confirmed this.”