Russia Calls World Athletics Ban ‘Discriminatory’

The Russian Athletics Federation on Saturday said it was “disappointed” that World Athletics (WA) has not lifted its ban on excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes.

On Friday, WA confirmed that the ban would remain in place, four years after the invasion of Ukraine.

WA president Sebastian Coe said the body’s two-day council meeting had “been consequential and methodical in reviewing the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus and in identifying a conditional pathway back into international competition”.

“We presented options for the Council to consider on this matter; however, the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialised,” Coe said.

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Russia’s athletics body responded with a statement on Saturday.

“Russian Athletics is disappointed by yet another discriminatory decision by the World Athletics Council to bar Russian athletes from participating in competitions held under the auspices of World Athletics,” it said.

“It is clear that this decision runs counter to Olympic principles and to current trends in global sport.”

In May, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged sports federations to allow Belarus to return to international competition, while keeping restrictions on Russia in place.

World Gymnastics have lifted restrictions on both countries while the International Skating Union this week said it would allow Russians and Belarusians to return as neutrals for the 2026–2027 season.

Russian Athletics said it was particularly concerned “that an entire generation of young athletes has no opportunity to compete at a high international level”.

WA said it had examined the impact of the conflict on athletics in Ukraine.

“The dedicated fund that World Athletics established in 2022 to support Ukraine is helping ameliorate some of that impact, but there is no doubt the ability of Ukraine and its athletes to train and compete remains severely compromised,” WA said.

Coe has said that if a peace agreement is reached, then it is not for sport to stand in the way of a Russian return.

The conflict, though, has left its mark on Coe after a visit he paid to Ukraine.

“When you get to Kyiv (train station), there are probably 50 or 60 ambulances and hearses waiting on the platform,” he told AFP in an interview last year.

“Families waiting for the news. They have two carriages, mobile operating theatres and intensive care units, where amputations are taking place as the train’s coming back.

“So, sorry, it’s not something I could ever really be neutral about.”

AFP

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