LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The world’s top antidoping authority on Monday banished Russia from international competition — including next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo — for four years, the latest and most severe punishment yet connected to a yearslong cheating scheme that has tarnished sports, rendered Russia a sports pariah and exacerbated tension between Moscow and the West.

Under the ban, Russia’s flag, name and anthem would not be allowed at the Tokyo Games next summer or the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, though the competitive effects may be minimal: Russian athletes not implicated in doping are expected to be allowed to compete in the Olympics and other world championships, but only under a neutral flag.

The World Anti-Doping Agency also barred Russian sports and government officials from the Games and prohibited the country from hosting international events. The decision, which Russia has 21 days to appeal, most likely will set up a series of confrontations in the coming months and years as Russia fights to have its athletes and teams compete at major events.

The ban comes four years after the first details of a conspiracy that peaked at the 2014 Sochi Olympics were made public, and only months after more recent revelations of a failed Russian cover-up that involved the manipulation of test results. The punishment was hailed by some as a tough step, though many declared it insufficient as a deterrent; some critics and athletes have called instead for a blanket ban with no exceptions.