LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russia’s track and field federation says it has gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a World Athletics ruling suspending its athletes from international events due to the war in Ukraine.
World Athletics excluded all athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus from its international events in March 2022, days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
It kept that suspension in place at a council meeting last week. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has eased its restrictions on Russia ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — something the Kremlin hailed as an “important step” — and recommended other sports bodies do the same.
“Russian Athletics notes that World Athletics’ decision affects the fundamental interests of athletics in Russia and restricts Russian athletes’ right to compete, on grounds that Russian Athletics considers discriminatory,” the Russian track federation said in a statement.
“Russian Athletics continues to pursue all available legal measures to protect the interests of Russian athletes.”
World Athletics vowed to defend the case.
“We take note of the Russian athletics federation’s appeal to CAS, and we will be strenuously defending our position,” it said in a statement. CAS confirmed it has received “a request for arbitration” without giving details of when it could be heard.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said last week his organization discussed options for “a conditional pathway back into international competition” for Russian and Belarusian athletes, but opted against.
“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 materialized,” he said.
Russia hasn’t competed under its own flag at a world athletics championships since 2015, when the Russian track federation was suspended over widespread doping.
A program allowing its athletes to compete under a neutral flag was ended in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine. World Athletics’ original doping suspension was lifted in 2023.
No Russians competed in Olympic athletics at the 2024 Paris Games because the qualification system is overseen by World Athletics, even though the IOC allowed neutral athletes in other sports.
Volleyball changes policy
Volleyball became the first major Olympic team sport to welcome Russia back since the IOC decision. Its governing body, the FIVB, said in a statement Wednesday that it plans to allow back Russian teams and players at all levels.
“This approach reflects the FIVB’s commitment to protecting the fundamental right of athletes to access sport regardless of their nationality,” it said. It’s not yet clear if those teams will play with Russian national symbols, though.
“The display of the Russian flag, anthem, colors or any other identifications will be at the discretion of the FIVB and the European Volleyball Confederation and decided in due time in consultation with the relevant international sports organizations to guarantee the full participation of the athletes,” the FIVB added.
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