The Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) announced that 1,785 athletes have been tested since the start of 2020, resulting in 25 (1.4%) sanctions for anti-doping rules violations (ADRVs). Robert Popov (Роберт Попов), RusAF’s Anti-Doping Manager, explained that as at 10 November, RusAF has eight athletes in the International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP); 299 in an expanded Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Registered Testing Pool (RTP); and 208 in the RUSADA RTP.

In July, World Athletics capped the number of athletes Russia can enter into international competitions as Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANAs) at ten until December 2020. RUSADA’s challenge to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Decision to declare it non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code for a four year period was recently heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, WADA’s original Decision allowed RUSADA to continue its anti-doping work, which is why RusAF athletes remain in RUSADA testing pools.

RusAF also announced that sprinter and middle distance runner Marzhana Ibaeva (Маржана Ибаева) has been sanctioned with a four year ban until 11 October 2024, after returning an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for four prohibited substances. Ibaeva returned AAFs for drostanolone, dehydrochloromethyltestosterone, stanozolol and meldonium at the Russian Team Championships, which took place on 19/20 September in Sochi. Her results from 19 September onwards have been cancelled.