Paris (AFP)
The International Athletics Federation (World Athletics) on Thursday granted the Russian Federation (Rusaf) a final deadline until August 15 to pay its fines for anti-doping rule violation, failing which an exclusion procedure will be immediately and automatically engaged.
The Russian Athletics Federation had until July 1 to pay a fine of $ 5 million (€ 4.25 million), as well as $ 1.31 million (€ 1.11 million) for the costs of the proceedings in progress, but has not made these payments to the international federation.
The Task Force, responsible for evaluating Russia's progress in the fight against doping in athletics, therefore recommended Thursday the exclusion of Rusaf from members of World Athletics, as well as the convening "as soon as possible" of a Special Congress of the International Federation to decide on this recommendation.
Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, however, sent a letter to World Athletics on Thursday, promising to settle the $ 6.31 million by August 15.
The Task Force is suspending its recommendation to exclude Rusaf, which will however take effect immediately if Russia does not pay the money before this new deadline.
The process allowing Russian athletes to obtain the status of Neutral Athletes (ANA) to participate in international competitions remains suspended until payment of the amounts due.
Russia is at the center of a vast institutionalized doping scandal between 2011 and 2015, particularly in athletics, and is under the close surveillance of the International Federation. Rusaf has been suspended since November 13, 2015.
In November 2019, World Athletics suspended the Rusaf reinstatement process, after high jumper Danil Lysenko, vice-world champion in 2017 in London and world indoor champion in 2018 with ANA status, provided with the support of the Russian Federation of false documents to justify a breach of its anti-doping whereabouts obligations ("no show") and avoid suspension.
Since then, the threat of outright exclusion has hovered over Russia, which would greatly compromise the presence of Russian athletes, including under neutral banners, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the summer of 2021.
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