https://sputnikglobe.com/20260723/this-has-nothing-to-do-with-sport-russian-athletics-federation-slams-continued-ban-1124484388.html
'This Has Nothing to do With Sport': Russian Athletics Federation Slams Continued Ban
'This Has Nothing to do With Sport': Russian Athletics Federation Slams Continued Ban
Sputnik International
World Athletics’ refusal to reinstate Russian athletes is discriminatory and politically motivated, Russian Athletics Federation executive director Boris Yaryshevsky said.
2026-07-23T14:43+0000
2026-07-23T14:43+0000
2026-07-23T15:26+0000
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“World Athletics has effectively confirmed the discrimination Russian athletes are facing. We had no choice but to challenge the decision,” he said at a press conference.He said linking athletes’ return to a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine was “absolutely discriminatory” and had “nothing to do with sport.”The restrictions also affect the federation itself. Russian officials remain barred from committees, meetings, and voting, while coaches and judges cannot attend conferences or professional training.The federation is demanding the restoration of both athletes’ competition rights and its full status within World Athletics.At the beginning of July, the Russian Athletics Federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after World Athletics extended its blanket ban on Russian athletes.The move came despite the International Olympics Committee (IOC) lifting its remaining restrictions on Russian competitors on July 7.Russian track and field athletes have faced restrictions since 2015, when World Athletics suspended the Russian federation over a doping scandal. Some athletes were later allowed to compete as neutrals, but in 2022 the organization imposed a separate blanket ban linked to the conflict in Ukraine. World Athletics restored the Russian federation’s membership in 2023 and removed all doping-related sanctions this March, but Russian track and field athletes are still barred from international events, even under neutral status.
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'This has nothing to do with sport': Russian Athletics Federation slams continued ban
Sputnik International
'This has nothing to do with sport': Russian Athletics Federation slams continued ban
2026-07-23T14:43+0000
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world, sport, russia, ukraine, russian athletics federation, international olympic committee (ioc)
'This Has Nothing to do With Sport': Russian Athletics Federation Slams Continued Ban
14:43 GMT 23.07.2026 (Updated: 15:26 GMT 23.07.2026) World Athletics’ refusal to reinstate Russian athletes is discriminatory and politically motivated, Russian Athletics Federation executive director Boris Yaryshevsky said.
“World Athletics has effectively confirmed the discrimination Russian athletes are facing. We had no choice but to challenge the decision,” he said at a press conference.
He said linking athletes’ return to a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine was “absolutely discriminatory” and had “nothing to do with sport.”
The restrictions also affect the federation itself. Russian officials remain barred from committees, meetings, and voting, while coaches and judges cannot attend conferences or professional training.
The federation is demanding the restoration of both athletes’ competition rights and its full status within World Athletics.
At the beginning of July, the Russian Athletics Federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after World Athletics extended its blanket ban on Russian athletes.
The move came despite the International Olympics Committee (IOC) lifting its remaining restrictions on Russian competitors on July 7.
Russian track and field athletes have faced restrictions since 2015, when World Athletics suspended the Russian federation over a doping scandal. Some athletes were later allowed to compete as neutrals, but in 2022 the organization imposed a separate blanket ban linked to the conflict in Ukraine. World Athletics restored the Russian federation’s membership in 2023 and removed all doping-related sanctions this March, but Russian track and field athletes are still barred from international events, even under neutral status.
