Friday, the International Association of Athletics Federations made a decision to extend the ban that’s kept Russian athletes out of international competition since November, disqualifying Russia’s entire track team from participating in this summer’s Olympic Games.
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The world athletics governing body at a meeting last Friday, voted unanimously to uphold its ban on Russian Federation for systematic doping thereby dealing a major blow to the eastern European nation’s fate of participating in the Rio Olympic games.
A task force led by Norwegian Rune Andersen was set up to monitor progress in reforming Russia’s antidoping programme, and in March reported that there was “significant work to do”.
Former WADA president Dick Pound, whose report led to Russia’s suspension, said he saw little reason for the ban to be lifted.
Coates on Friday described Russia’s anti-doping and athletics authorities as “rotten to the core” but offered some hope that individual Russian athletes might compete at Rio if they could show sufficient evidence that they were clean.
Russian Federation is now officially banned from competing in track and field during the 2016 Summer Olympics because of a massive doping scandal.
Meanwhile, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva said she would challenge the IAAF’s decision in court, claiming it was “a human rights violation”.
Some Russian athletes had hoped the International Olympic Committee might make exceptions for athletes who have never tested positive, or those who were whistle-blowers who contributed to multiple reports of systemic, state-sponsored doping. “The head coach of Russian athletics and many athletes appear unwilling to acknowledge extent of the doping problem and ignore the anti-doping rules”.
“While it is an extremely tough punishment, I feel it will serve as a warning to federations and national Olympic committees around the world”, Japanese Olympic Committee chief Tsunekazu Takeda told local media.
“Now they want to take away my chance to compete at the Olympics, even though I haven’t done anything to cost me a place in Rio”, Vasilyeva said.
The council found “Russian athletes could not credibly return to global competition without undermining the confidence of their competitors and the public”, Coe added.
“I can’t believe that the systematic doping in Russian Federation is only limited to athletics”, Prokop said.
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A follow-up WADA report Wednesday said drug testers continued to be obstructed and deceived by Russian athletes and state officials.
