The International Athletics Federation (World Athletics) has restored the membership of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF). At the same time, World Athletics has extended the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions, said the head of the organization, Sebastian Coe.
“The Council has agreed to reinstate the ARAF after a seven-year suspension. However, athletes, officials and personnel from Russia and Belarus are still suspended from competition for the foreseeable future due to events in Ukraine,” said Mr Coe (quoted from “RIA Novosti”).
The head of World Athletics said that the organization will formulate conditions over the next weeks under which the suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus can be lifted.
ARAF membership in the International Athletics Federation was suspended in November 2015 due to doping and corruption violations. Russian athletes missed the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and were forced to compete in other international competitions in a neutral status.
Belarusian Athletics Association was expelled from World Athletics in March 2022 due to the outbreak of armed conflict in Ukraine. Due to the start of the military operation, the International Federation also extended the suspension from the competition for Russian athletes.
The fact that the International Federation of Athletics in March of this year will receive a recommendation to return the ARAF membership to the parent structure was announced in December 2022 by Rune Andersen, head of the working group created by World Athletics to monitor the ARAF. Explaining why the group, which had already declined to make such a recommendation more than 15 times, changed its mind, Mr. Andersen pointed out that ARAF was able to “introduce a new culture of good governance and zero tolerance for doping”, and also became transparent.
For more details, see the article “Recognition is returned to Russian athletics”.