Russia accepts ‘full’ athletics doping ban

IAAF inspection team will decide reinstatement once progress starts

MONACO: Russia has accepted its “full suspension” from world athletics over widespread doping without even requesting a hearing, said the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The most severe punishment ever meted out by the IAAF was made formal at a meeting of the world body’s governing council in Monaco.

Russia, which had previously denied any wrongdoing, vowed at the meeting to work with foreign inspectors so that it could be reinstated into international competition.

Post-WADA suspension: Russia ‘ready to rebuild’ anti-doping system

Russia is anxious to be cleared to compete in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.

The IAAF had provisionally suspended Russia over what a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report released this month said was “state-sponsored” doping in athletics.

An IAAF statement said an All-Russia Athletics Federation letter had been received on Wednesday “accepting their full suspension without requesting a hearing as was their constitutional right”.

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“ARAF confirmed they understood that the council would only accept their reinstatement as an IAAF Member following the recommendation of the IAAF inspection team who will decide if the verification criteria have been fulfilled. ARAF confirmed they will cooperate fully and actively with the team.”

Vadim Zelichenok, ARAF’s interim president, said the federation had feared an even worse punishment if an appeal was made.

“We decided that it was better to correct the situation from the very start and as quickly as possible,” the Russia’s R-Sport news agency quoted him as saying.

Under pressure: Russia faces possible ban from athletics

“We either agree and start correcting the deficiencies — which we have already started doing — or prolong the agony and wait until we get slammed even more seriously.”

IAAF president Sebastian Coe has said he wants “engagement not isolation” to settle the doping scandal.

“We touched upon the Russian federation’s situation and also noted their acceptance of the full suspension and agreement that the inspection team... will finalise the verification criteria for ARAF to be reinstated and we will do that with WADA,” said Coe after the council meeting. “There is no reason why we should not make progress probably within the next 10 days to two weeks, via conference call, to start this process as soon as possible.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th,  2015.

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