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Russian athletics body warned of more bans

Russia's athletics federation has been warned by the IAAF they could face more sanctions this year.

Russia's ban from international athletics over widespread doping was extended by the sport's governing body on Tuesday and the country has been warned further sanctions could be imposed this year.

The International Association of Athletics Federations say they will consider next July withdrawing permission for Russian athletes to compete as neutrals "if progress is not made."

They may even consider expelling Russia from the IAAF, the IAAF said after a Council meeting in Birmingham, England.

Russia have been banned from the sport since November 2015 after the McLaren report discovered widespread doping.

Russia's political and sporting leaders have repeatedly denied state involvement in doping, a key sticking point in lifting the ban, although Russian athletes were allowed to compete as neutrals at last year's world championships.

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The IAAF said in a statement issued after Tuesday's meeting "while some conditions have been met ... several key areas have still not been satisfied by RusAF (Russia's athletics federation) and RUSADA (Russia's anti-doping agency)".

This included a plan for this year "that shows an adequate amount of testing" and fixing legal issues which currently prevent athletics coaches from being provisionally banned.

Russia are still regarded as non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

However, the country has been reinstated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after being banned from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics last month where Russians could compete as neutrals.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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