Doping: IAAF maintains ban on Russian athletics over doping scandal
World athletics governing body IAAF has decided not to lift a ban on Russia’s athletics federation over doping, saying on Monday it was still waiting to receive data collected from Moscow and financial compensation for its investigations.
Russia’s athletics federation (RUSAF) has been suspended since 2015 following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that found evidence of widespread doping in the sport.
Coe would not speculate on when the ban could be resolved.
The IAAF’s governing council discussed the possibility of lifting the ban at a meeting in Doha on Sunday and Monday.
But Rune Andersen, chair of the IAAF’s Russia Taskforce, said Moscow had yet to meet two conditions.
“Logistical” issues had held up financial compensation, including for the taskforce’s costs and legal costs in cases Russia had brought to the courts, he said, adding that the IAAF had also not yet received analytical data and samples from a Moscow lab, which are still being assessed by WADA.
“Those (issues) need to be resolved. As soon as we have everything we need… we will seriously reconsider and recommend to the IAAF council for reinstatement (of Russia),” Andersen said.
Should it fail to meet IAAF conditions, Russia could risk sending a team to September’s world athletics championships in Doha, Qatar.
Individual Russian athletes would be allowed to compete as neutrals as they have since 2015 provided they meet certain criteria that showed they had operated in a dope-free environment. (Reuters)
Russian officials and IAAF president Sebastian Coe said Russia owes the governing body about $3 million and discussions were continuing.
“Of course, we have worked and are working to finding sources of funding to pay the debt,” Dmitry Shlyakhtin, president of Russia’s athletics federation, said in a statement.
Russia’s sports ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Russian authorities have denied their doping program was state-sponsored but have accepted that senior officials were involved in providing banned substances to athletes, interfering with anti-doping procedures or covering up positive tests.
The IAAF also said the Taskforce had noted comments made to German television network ARD over the weekend that some coaches, with links to the doping affair, were involved again with coaching Russian national team athletes.
Coe said he believed progress had been made in Russia, “but I think it was sensible to maintain the suspension”.
Russia’s reinstatement has been rejected several times by the IAAF over the past three years. The athletics body is the only other major sports organization to keep Russia banned for at least the coming months.
Both WADA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have revoked their suspensions of Russia while the International Paralympic Committee has said it will reinstate Russia by March 15.
Coe said there had been no inquiries from either the IAAF or WADA about reinstating the Russian federation. (Reuters)
