IAAF Council Votes to Maintain Russian Ban

By Adam Kopet

The IAAF announced Tuesday that the IAAF Council has voted to maintain the ban on the Russian Athletics.

Russia was first banned by the IAAF at the end of 2015 following the revelations of a state-sponsored doping program.

Two requirements remain before Russia can be reinstated. The Athletics Integrity Unit must be given full access to the data and samples regarding Russian doping in athletics. Also, Russia must pay the investigative costs, as well as the costs of bringing and defending Russian cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Russia Taskforce is prepared to meet to review future compliance as soon as Russia is ready to show it has met with the above requirements. This means should Russia meet its obligations, it could be reinstated before the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar.