The Russian athletics federation has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to annul the suspension that keeps its athletes out of international competitions. The measure, imposed by World Athletics in March 2022, responds to the conflict in Ukraine.
No progress towards peace
World Athletics upheld the sanction following its board meeting last week. Days later, the International Olympic Committee relaxed its restrictions on Russia ahead of Los Angeles 2028 — a gesture that the Kremlin considered an “important step” — and recommended other organizations follow that line.
“Russian Athletics notes that World Athletics’ decision affects the fundamental interests of athletics in Russia and restricts the right of Russian athletes to compete, for reasons that Russian Athletics considers discriminatory,” the federation said in a statement.
World Athletics vowed to defend itself. “We take note of the Russian athletics federation’s appeal to the CAS, and we will vigorously defend our position,” the governing body said.
The CAS confirmed having received “a request for arbitration” without specifying a hearing date.
A conditional path that did not prosper
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, explained that options for “a conditional path back to international competition” for Russians and Belarusians were discussed, but it was decided not to apply them.
“We presented options for the council to consider on this matter, however the original decision remains regarding sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible progress towards peace negotiations having materialized,” Coe said.
Russian athletics has not competed under its own flag at world championships since 2015, when its federation was suspended for massive doping. A neutral participation program ended in 2022 after the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine. The original doping ban was lifted in 2023. No Russian athletes participated in Olympic athletics at Paris 2024, as the qualifying system depends on World Athletics, although the IOC allowed neutral competitors in other sports.
