‘Nothing to do With Sport’: Russian Athletics Federation Slams Continued Ban
/ Go to the mediabankOlympic rings pictured on a banner
/ Go to the mediabank
World Athletics’ refusal to reinstate Russian athletes is discriminatory and politically motivated, Russian Athletics Federation executive director Boris Yaryshevsky said.“World Athletics has effectively confirmed the discrimination Russian athletes are facing. We had no choice but to challenge the decision,” he said at a press conference.He said linking athletes’ return to a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine was “absolutely discriminatory” and had “nothing to do with sport.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The restrictions also affect the federation itself. Russian officials remain barred from committees, meetings, and voting, while coaches and judges cannot attend conferences or professional training.The federation is demanding the restoration of both athletes’ competition rights and its full status within World Athletics.
WorldPlaying by No Rules: How Politics Seeks to Take Over International Sports9 July, 14:39 GMTAt the beginning of July, the Russian Athletics Federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after World Athletics extended its blanket ban on Russian athletes.The move came despite the International Olympics Committee (IOC) lifting its remaining restrictions on Russian competitors on July 7.Russian track and field athletes have faced restrictions since 2015, when World Athletics suspended the Russian federation over a doping scandal. Some athletes were later allowed to compete as neutrals, but in 2022 the organization imposed a separate blanket ban linked to the conflict in Ukraine. World Athletics restored the Russian federation’s membership in 2023 and removed all doping-related sanctions this March, but Russian track and field athletes are still barred from international events, even under neutral status.
