Seoul Gazette - World Athletics stance on Russia unchanged, says Coe

Russia's athletics federation has lodged a new claim at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge the World Athletics sanctions, arguing not only for the admission of Russian athletes with an eye on qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but also the restoration of its rights.

The global body for track and field announced in July it was keeping in place a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes that was imposed in March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian federation, Russian Athletics, claims the sanctions are "selective and politicised".

"The current restrictions infringe on the organisation's rights and prevent it from fully representing the interests of Russian athletes on an international level," it said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in team events and qualifying competitions for the Los Angeles Olympics.

"We made it clear that we wanted to ensure all athletes have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games and not be held responsible for their government's actions," IOC president Kirsty Coventry said.

Ukraine slammed the IOC decision on Russian involvement in Los Angeles as "premature" and "unfounded" while Moscow's invasion drags on through its fifth year.

The stance of World Athletics, headed by Britain's two-time Olympic 1,500m gold medallist Coe, is in contrast to the federations of other Olympic sports.

World Gymnastics and the International Skating Union, for example, have eased restrictions on Russian competitors.

- Not about politics -

Coe, speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday, said he still fully believed in World Athletics' policy.

"First of all, our position hasn't changed," said the 69-year-old Briton.

"This isn't about politics or passports, it's about the integrity of competition.

"From the age of 18, I believe that. Every position I've taken, whether it was during the creation of the first IOC athletes' commission or positions I've personally taken, it's about integrity and it's about competition.

"That matters to me, so our position won't change."

Coe said last month that he intended to be personally present at CAS to defend that position.

Russian Athletics executive director Boris Yaryshevsky, in an interview with the Russian TASS news agency last week, said Coe had crossed the line of political neutrality with that statement.

"It is very clear that he has something personal," Yaryshevsky said.

"He is no longer speaking on behalf of World Athletics as a federation. He is speaking for himself, saying that he personally will go to court to defend this.

"I believe this is simply his personal position, not the position of World Athletics."

Coe conceded Sunday that a solution to the impasse was needed.

"Yes, this does need to be resolved and I'm acutely aware of that," he said.

"It is important. We want a full complement of people on a global level competing in our sport and that has to be our overall objective, of course it does."

S.Yang--SG