25 Mar, 12:14

World Athletics extends ban on Russia, Belarus

Russian and Belarusian national track and field athletes were barred from international competitions in March 2022 in view of the developments in Ukraine

LONDON, March 25. /TASS/. World Athletics has extended indefinitely the suspension of Russian and Belarusian track and field athletes from international tournaments, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"The Council also approved the recommendation of the working group on the Belarusian and Russian participation that the current Council’s sanctions are adequate and do not need to be replaced, added to or varied unless either the current circumstances deteriorate significantly or there is a peace agreement," Coe stated.

"In anticipation of peace at some stage, the Athletics Integrity Unit [AIU] continues to maintain Russian and Belarusian athletes in its international testing pool," the World Athletics president added.

Russian and Belarusian national track and field athletes were barred from international competitions in March 2022 in view of the developments in Ukraine.

Russian athletes were stripped of their right to compete internationally under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem. They skipped the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, except for long jumper Daria Klishina, who resided and practiced in the United States at that time.

At a World Athletics Board meeting, hosted by Monaco on December 7-8, 2023, Coe told journalists that no track and field athletes from Russia and Belarus would be permitted to take part in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

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