As it happened in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and in the 2017 World Championship, the Russian flag will not fly on this occasion at the facilities of the World Athletics World Championships that will start on Friday.

The head of the task force responsible for the restoration of the Russian Athletics Federation (FRA), Rune Andresen, announced in Doha that the IAAF has made the decision to prolong Russia's suspension, effective since November 2015, according to local agencies . "The council supported what is probably the strongest recommendation we have received from the working group for Russia to remain suspended," IAAF president Sebastian Coe also said after the federation council meeting.

In this way, Russian athletes will compete without a national shield on their chest, they will not see the national flag and, in case of victory, they will not be able to hear the anthem of their country in their honor.

In principle, 29 Russian athletes -10 more than in 2017- will compete in Doha, among which the most prominent is Maria Lasitskene, world and European champion, and a great favorite for gold in high jump; and the 110-meter hurdles world champion Sergey Shubenkov.

Andersen acknowledged at a press conference that his group recommended prolonging the exclusion of Russian athletics, a proposal that the IAAF executive council unanimously supported.

The working group made that decision after the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA) announced today an investigation due to doubts about the authenticity of the data collected a few months ago by the AMA in the Moscow laboratory, alluding to a possible manipulation of doping tests.

As it was known today, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has three weeks to respond to the new claims of the AMA, which threaten their participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

On the other hand, in line with the AMA investigation, the Russian Anna Chícherova, Olympic high jump champion in London, and thirteen other Russian athletes will not be able to compete in the Doha World Cups as neutral, according to the Russian Federation of Athletics (FRA).

Chícherova, who was deprived in 2016 of the bronze achieved in the Beijing Games by consuming the anabolic steroid "Turinabol", had returned to the competition in February at age 36.

Other athletes who have been excluded are the 20-kilometer Olympic champion in London, Yelena Lashmánova, and the triple-jump world and European champion, Yekaterina Koneva.

WADA had access to the Moscow laboratory at the beginning of the year and had until June 30 to reexamine the doping tests that arouse suspicion, the last step for the definitive rehabilitation of Russian sport.

A year ago, the AMA rehabilitated RUSADA under conditions, whose license was suspended three years ago between accusations of state doping.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports
  • World Athletics Championship
  • more sport

Athletics Ana Peleteiro gets her best outdoor brand in the Paris Diamond League

Athletics A thermometer in the stomach to prevent collapse in the Qatar World Cup

AthleticsDeception on the return of Bruno Hortelano