By special permission, despite the IAAF’s suspension of the Russian athletics Federation. In order to compete, Russian athletes must demonstrate that they were not involved in the doping scandal that precipitated Russia’s suspension from international athletics.
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According to a spokesperson for Russia’s governing track and field athletics body, a total of thirty Russian track and field athletes have been granted permission from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to participate under a neutral status next week at the European athletics championship.
Natalia Yukhareva, a spokesperson for the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF), quote “the final list of Russian athletes allowed to take part in the European championship includes 30 names.”
In 2015, the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Independent Commission carried out an investigation into the activities of the ARAF, the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, the RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) and the Russian Sports Ministry.
The commission accused certain athletes and sports officials of doping abuse and involvement in other activities related to violations of international regulations on performance enhancing substances.
The work of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and RUSADA was eventually suspended. The IAAF in turn decided to suspend ARAF’s membership in the global governing body of athletics and put forward a host of criteria, which the Russian ruling body of track and field sports was obliged to implement in order to restore its membership in the global federation.
The IAAF, however, permitted clean athletes from Russia to participate in the international tournaments under the neutral status until the membership of the ARAF was reinstated.