The IAAF on Thursday called for "immediate" sanctions against Russian athletes and coaches caught doping as a condition for the drugs-tainted national federation to regain membership of world athletics' ruling body. It also demanded a law in Russia to criminalize sports doping and a system so that athletes can "safely tipoff" authorities about drug cheats.
IAAF president Sebastian Coe said the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) cannot be readmitted to the world body until all criteria set by the IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) are met. Following recommendations by a WADA independent commission, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last week provisionally suspended Russia from international competition, raising the possibility of Russian track stars being excluded from next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Russian sports authorities have remained adamant that the country's track and field athletes will be at the Olympics, pledging to restore the country's IAAF membership within three months. The IAAF said the ARAF's readmission will be verified a special inspection team "based upon criteria which will be decided by the IAAF in consultation with WADA." The five principle criteria are headed by "immediate corrective and disciplinary measures" against "all athletes, athlete support personnel, administrators, members or other persons who have committed an anti-doping rule violation or engaged in any kind of intentional act of complicity," said the IAAF in a statement.
As well as "establishing an effective and operational anti-doping framework in Russia", the IAAF proposed "criminalizing the distribution and trafficking of prohibited substances under Russian law. Identifying and addressing the different incentives and other factors currently used to incentivise doping conduct in Russia". The IAAF also called for a "robust, transparent and efficient anti-doping testing programme" and that Russia satisfy WADA and the IAAF that its officials, coaches and athletes act in accordance with WADA's code. The world body also said there had to be a system where "athletes can safely tipoff" on coaches and other officials involved with doping.
"The establishment of these guiding principles with the approval of the inspection team's independent chair Rune Andersen establish a clear path upon which the verification criteria will be established," IAAF president Sebastian Coe said. "For the protection of all clean athletes there cannot be any timeframe for ARAF's return until we are assured all criteria have been fully met and will continue to be met forever." Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko earlier pledged to revamp the country's anti-doping body after it was suspended by WADA over non-compliance with international rules.
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