The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has rejected applications from 18 Russian athletes to compete as neutrals athletes in various events during 2018. The Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) said that the reason given was that the athletes had not been part of a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) for over 12 months, one of the conditions required by the IAAF for Russians seeking to compete as neutrals.

However one of the athletes concerned was allowed to compete in the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 as a neutral athlete, where he won a silver medal. Last year, the IAAF approved the application of Salavat Ilkaev – listed below as an athlete whose application was refused – to compete as a neutral athlete in the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017, where he finished second in the 10km race walk.

‘The more important the International Competition in question, the more corroborating evidence the athlete must provide in order to be granted special eligibility under this Rule 22.1A’, reads Rule 22 of the IAAF’s Eligibility Rules (click here to download). ‘Where such eligibility is granted, the athlete shall not represent the suspended National Federation in the International Competition(s) in question, but rather shall compete in an individual capacity, as a ‘Neutral Athlete’. The Council (or its delegate(s)) may reconsider a decision to grant or deny an application for eligibility under this Rule 22.1A where it deems it appropriate to do so (e.g., if new facts or new evidence emerge).’

Presumably, not being part of a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) for over 12 months, would be considered a ‘new fact’ worthy of denying Ilkaev eligibility for the 2018 Race Walking World Championships, which take place in Taicang, China, 5-6 May. Earlier this year, the IAAF decided against approving the applications of three additional Russian athletes to compete as neutrals at the Birmingham World Indoors.

The 18 applications that were refused are as follows:

• Tatyana Stetsyuk (pole vault);
• Egor Nikolaev (middle/long distance running);
• Angelina Krasnova (pole vault – refusal to take part in World Indoors, Birmingham 1-4 March);
• Salavat Ilkaev (race walking, refusal to take part in the World Championships in China during May);
• Georgiy Gorokhov (pole vault – refusal to take part in the World Indoors, Birmingham 1-4 March & in all competitions before the World Cup);
• Maria Pavlova (Heptathlon/pentathlon)
• Yelena Panova (discus – refusal to take part in the European Throwing Cup in Portugal during March);
• Anatoliy Ryapolov (long jump – refusal to take part in the World Indoors, Birmingham 1-4 March & in all competitions before the World Cup);
• Feliks Shestophalov (decathlon);
• Catherine Gorshenin (walking trials);
• Ruslan Perestyuk (sprinter);
• Ksenia Zybina (javelin);
• Maria Gromysheva (heptathlon);
• Dmitry Semenov (high jump);
• Tatiana Shvydkin (pole vault);
• Nina Morozova (60m hurdles – refusal to take part in the World Indoors, Birmingham 1-4 March & in all competitions before the World Cup);
• Daniyil Kotov (pole vault);
• Maria Aglitzka (60m hurdles – refusal to take part in the World Indoors, Birmingham 1-4 March & in all competitions before the World Cup).