31 January 2020

Ministry of Sport suspends Russian Athletics Federation

Russia’s Ministry of Sport has suspended the State accreditation of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) until 1 March 2020, two days after its Presidential elections on 28 February. This is also after a World Athletics Council meeting at which RusAF’s expulsion from World Athletics will be considered, unless it admits officials were involved in forging documentation to assist high jumper Danil Lysenko in a case involving a ‘whereabouts failure’ anti-doping rule violation (ADRV).

RusAF’s former President, Dmitry Shlyakhtin (Дмитрий Шляхтин), was one of seven officials charged by World Athletics. He resigned two days later, but retains a governmental post as Minister of Sport for the Samara region of Russia. RusAF has already announced that seven candidates have expressed interest in becoming the body’s new President, adding that their biographies will be published on its internet site on 13 February. It acknowledged the Ministry of Sport’s decision today.

The Ministry of Sport said that RusAF had violated obligations to protect against doping in sport within Russia’s Federal Law No. 329 On Physical Culture and Sports in the Russian Federation. ‘The new management of RusAF has not taken the necessary measures to establish constructive cooperation with the international federation to resolve the situation’, read a statement.

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