End in sight for Russian athletics’ doping ban, says World Athletics
James Davis reports on the status of Russian athletics after the conclusion of the 229th World Athletics Council meeting.
The Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) could potentially see its doping suspension lifted, after seven years out in the cold.
World Athletics expects to be in a position to decide on whether Russia can be reintegrated into the sport in March of next year, after undertaking an audit of RusAF’s progress.
The removal of the ban, which began in November of 2015, would still not allow Russian athletes to compete at the highest level, as a separate suspension remains in force for both Russia and Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference at the conclusion of World Athletics’ 229th Council meeting, Rune Andersen, head of World Athletics’ Russia Taskforce, suggested the audit results reflected a marked change in the culture of Russian athletics governance.
He said: “The discussion revealed the current RusAF leadership team has embedded a new culture of good governance and zero tolerance for doping throughout the organisation.
“RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) also appears to be working effectively at an operational level, including conducting testing of Russian athletes that appears, subject to further checking, to be of sufficient quantity and quality.”
The Norwegian highlighted RusAF taking steps of its own initiative outside of those required by the reinstatement plan, and also pointed to RUSADA receiving more whistleblowing reports about athletics than about any other sport, as evidence that cultural change had started within Russian athletics.
Andersen struck a cautious tone when considering the future: “Whether that cultural change can be sustained in the long term remains to be seen.”
However, a move to lift the suspension early next year would not mark the end of significant oversight in Russia.
The Athletics Integrity Unit will take over from World Athletics’ Russia Taskforce after the lifting of a suspension, with staff on site at RusAF headquarters in Moscow.
Andersen promised that after reinstatement, ‘conditions that go far beyond those imposed to any other national federation’ would be used to keep Russia toeing the anti-doping line.
Any failure to meet these could lead to the strongest sanction of all – permanent expulsion of RusAF from World Athletics.
Regardless of the outcome of March’s World Athletics Council meeting, the return of Russian athletes to the sport’s leading competitions could take a while longer yet.
World Athletics President Seb Coe did not equivocate when asked what would be required for lifting Russia’s second, invasion-related suspension, saying: “I think this is fairly simple. Get out of Ukraine.”
Coe finished the press conference by presenting the World Athletics President’s Award to the Ukrainian Athletic Association (UAF) for their resilience and continued success this year.
UAF President and combat drone pilot Yevhen Pronin was in Rome to receive the award, having received dispensation to leave the Ukrainian front line.
