Untainted Russians may vie as neutrals
THE International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Thursday renewed its call to see Russian athletes untainted by their country’s doping scandal compete at the Olympics as neutrals and not under their national flag.
However, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday that any Russian athletes who pass an individual test by the IAAF could compete under their own flag as the Russian national Olympic committee is not suspended.
The IAAF Council decided last week to maintain the suspension of Russia after findings of drug test violations, including ignored positives and altered test results. But clean athletes could still boost their hopes of appearing in Rio after new guidelines were set out on Thursday.
“If there are any individual athletes who can clearly and convincingly show that they are not tainted by the Russian system because they have been outside the country and subject to other effective anti-doping systems, then they should be able to apply for permission to compete in international competitions, not for Russia but as a neutral athlete,” said an IAAF statement.
The ban on Russian athletes began last November on findings from world anti-doping organization WADA’s independent commission into state-sponsored doping in the country’s track and field set-up. But it has caused deep divisions in the sport ahead of the Rio Olympics which get under way on August 5.
Russian pole vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva had threatened to sue the IAAF over the ban.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe said it had been crucial to agree guidelines with the European championships due to start in Amsterdam on July 6.
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