IAAF permits Russians as neutrals

Paris -The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which has banned Russia since 2015, announced on Wednesday that it had cleared eight more athletes from the country to compete under a neutral flag.

The only one of the eight to have enjoyed any success at the highest level is Yevgeny Rybakov, a 33-year-old runner, who took third in the 10,000m at the 2012 European Championships.

The panel that grants stainless competitors the status of authorised neutral athlete has been operating since the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

With the eight additions, the list for 2018 contains 67 names, but 62 more have been turned down in 2018 by the committee, which says it has received 199 requests since December.

Eight Russian walkers, including 20km World Championship runner-up Sergey Shirobokov, had their status revoked in May for attending a training camp run by banned coach Viktor Chegin ahead of the World Team Championships in China.

The IAAF renewed Russia’s suspension on March 6.

In 2015, IAAF president Lamine Diack was arrested in France and charged with taking millions of dollars to cover up failed Russian dope tests.

AFP