Doping-tainted Russia will continue to be barred from competing in international athletics after the IAAF Council, under the presidency of Sebastian Coe, voted to extend the ban as a repercussion of state-sponsored doping. This ruling comes despite the fact that recently President Vladimir Putin approved a law criminalising doping in sports. The next review over this decision is scheduled to take place in February.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) first imposed the ban on Russia in November 2015 and subsequently extended it twice in March and June on the grounds that the criteria set for the track and field athletes had not been met as per requirements.
Norwegian Rune Andersen, the head of the IAAF Taskforce monitoring the nation’s anti-doping programme said that there had been significant areas of progress. However, several issues still needed clarifying in the new year.
The progress made, Andersen was quoted as saying to AFP, included "rolling out anti-doping education modules for coaches and athletes, securing cooperation by the Russian criminal authorities with their French counterparts and the Russian parliament, the Duma, passing a new law criminalising the supply of prohibited substances to athletes".
Pre-conditions for the reinstatement include that Russian athletics federation (RusAF) comply in full capacity with World Anti-Doping Code and IAAF anti-doping rules. These include provisions that the IAAF and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) are able to carry out their anti-doping programmes and testing without interference so as to ensure that the reintegration of Russian athletes into international competitions will not risk the morality of those events.
The Taskforce will return to the fore in January "to assess the response to McLaren's final report due on December 9", Andersen said in reference to the final report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren.
Andersen will then report to the IAAF Council meeting in February. "At that time it hopes to be able to identify a clear roadmap and timetable for RusAF's reinstatement," Andersen said to AFP.
As a result of the ban, Russian athletes missed the Rio Olympics in August and the extension would mean that a majority of them would also miss the March 3-5 European Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
Putin however put forth a strong message in his state of the nation address on Thursday wherein he said that the new anti-doping programme would be ready in early 2017 which would enable the track and field athletes to take part in qualification essential for attendance at the world championships in London in August.
"I hope that by the spring qualifications for the World Championship, which will be held in 2017 in Lausanne, our athletics (federation) will be reinstated," Russian news agencies quoted deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko as saying. "I think that this will be done, that it will be reinstated. All the criteria are being fulfilled, people are working. But some deadlines probably still need to pass."
