MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. The Council of World Athletics announced a decision to reinstate the membership of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF), the global track and field athletics organization said in a statement.
"The Council approved the Russia Taskforce’s recommendation that RusAF, which has been suspended for seven years due to doping, be reinstated after meeting all the requirements of the Reinstatement plan, which has been confirmed by an independent audit," the statement reads.
"The Council agreed to the reinstatement of the Russian Federation (RusAF) following seven years of suspension due to egregious institutional doping violations," the statement from World Athletics reads.
"However, athletes, officials and supporting personnel from Russia and Belarus are still excluded from competition for the foreseeable future," due to Russia’s ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, according to World Athletics.
Commenting on the decision World Athletics President Sebastian Coe stated: "I would like to express my deep gratitude to Rune Andersen and the Taskforce members for staying the course and helping us to resolve a major integrity issue in our sport."
"It has been a mammoth undertaking over seven years but their commitment and diligence has given the Council confidence that the Russian Federation has reformed its structure and culture and is now on the right path in terms of addressing doping issues," he said.
"It is important that RusAF continues on this path, but we are confident the Athletics Integrity Unit has the expertise to monitor and assess the situation going forwards," President Coe added.
World Athletics suspended RusAF’s membership in November 2015, following a wave of anti-doping rules violations and formed a special mission on the issue. World Athletics, however, allowed clean athletes from Russia to participate in international tournaments under the neutral status or the Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) until the membership of the RusAF is reinstated. The ANA status prohibited Russian athletes from participating in all international track and field tournaments under the national flag.
The World Athletics Council announced its decision on November 22, 2019, to extend the suspension of RusAF’s reinstatement process, based on charges brought by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). According to World Athletics, the AIU charged RusAF on November 21, 2019, "with obstructing an investigation and provisionally suspended several senior federation officials for tampering and complicity."
In March 2020, the World Athletics Council ruled to fine RusAF $5 million for its alleged involvement of the previous executive administration’s in an attempt to forge official documents for high jumper Danil Lysenko. RusAF repaid the fine on August 12, 2020.
On November 17, 2021, the Congress of the global body of track and field athletics, World Athletics, voted to extend the membership suspension term of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) until the Russian side met all of its reinstatement requirements.