IAAF Guidelines for Russian Athletes

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have revised their guidelines towards Russian athletes wishing to compete in a neutral capacity while their nation remains banned from track and field events.

In the wake of the report by Richard McLaren which implicated Russian athletes in a systematic doping program, Russian athletes are currently stillprohibited from competing in track and field events. Russian athletes were originally banned from competing in events in November 2015, in the wake of a report from WADA.

However, the IAAF will allow Russian athletes to compete on an unaffiliated, individual basis; provided they meet the guidelines laid out for inclusion. 

The guidelines largely revolve around whether the athletes or their teams have directly been implicated in allegations of doping or corruption, and are designed to prove ‘ substantial objective assurance’ of their integrity.