The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has upheld the ban imposed by it on Russia's track and field team over allegations of widespread and state-sponsored doping. This means Russia, one of the powerhouses of track and field, will be excluded from this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
2. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
has upheld the ban imposed by it on Russia's track and field
team over allegations of widespread and state-sponsored
doping. This means Russia, one of the powerhouses of track and
field, will be excluded from this summer's Olympic Games in
Rio de Janeiro.
IAAF head Sebastian Coe said at a press conference in Vienna
the IAAF council was unanimous that RUSAF (Russian Athletic
Federation) had not met the reinstatement conditions although
good progress has been made. Coe added the Russian athletes
could not credibly return to international competition without
undermining the confidence of their competitors and the public
and therefore the Russian Athletic Federation has not been
reinstated to membership of the IAAF at this stage.
3. Expressing its disappointment, the Sports Ministry of Russia
urged the International Olympic Committee to assess the
consequences of banning the national team of Russia from the
2016 Olympic Games. In a statement, the ministry said it is
calling upon all members of the International Olympic
Committee to once again assess the consequences the
precedent (ban of the national team from the Olympic Games)
will have both for Russian athletes and all of Russian people as
well as for other members of the Olympic movement.
RUSAF president Dmitry Shlyakhtin remarked the athletes with
clean records who have never used banned drugs will be
making their own decisions now and added they still have
chances to go to the Olympics if they take their cases to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport.
