Initially, there was no reason to expect positive news from the next World Athletics congress in Russia.

The issue of restoring ARAF membership has been raised more than 15 times in six years, but has not yet been positively resolved.

Moreover, when last summer the federation was unable to pay the fine in the case of the jumper Danila Lysenko on time due to the recognition of the medical certificate as falsified, it found itself on the verge of complete exclusion.

WA has suspended the process of granting neutral status to domestic athletes and work on the return of ARAF membership.

And only in March 2021, when the updated roadmap was approved, Russian athletes were again allowed to compete.

Fortunately, the question of excluding ARAF was not raised at this congress, although it could, judging by the words of the president of the international organization, Sebastian Coe.

“The report of the working group notes that since March 2021 ARAF has made satisfactory progress in achieving the key indicators outlined in the recovery plan.

Based on this, the council decided to postpone the question of the expulsion of ARAF and instead recommended that Congress extend the suspension until all the conditions for restoration are met, "the TASS head was quoted as saying.

On a positive note, the head of the ARAF Irina Privalova was given the opportunity to speak at the meeting and talk about the work that is now being carried out in the federation.

The last time a representative of Russia spoke at congresses in 2019, then it was the ex-head Dmitry Shlyakhtin.

And it still happened before the outcome of the Lysenko case.

On Wednesday, in her ten-minute speech, the Olympic champion said what her partners from the International Association surely wanted to hear: ARAF has completely changed from that moment.

The management has been completely updated, all employees have undergone full-time anti-doping training, and they also have a good understanding of personal responsibility for anti-doping rule violations.

“I said that our athletes successfully performed at international competitions, they all passed doping tests, and there were no questions about them.

We also have an independent anti-doping department and an ethics officer.

All of this work has been highly acclaimed by the World Athletics Working Group.

They especially noted the positive dynamics in the change of culture, "Privalova told RT.

Rune Andersen, head of the working group on the restoration of the ARAF, spoke about the change in culture at the congress meeting.

He stressed that the national federation has made steady progress towards fulfilling the conditions for recovery in World Athletics.

"Based on the reports of international experts, the working group believes that these changes reflect a new culture in ARAF, which rejects the past practice of doping and indicates a commitment to clean competition," - quotes a TASS specialist.

In turn, Privalova emphasized that the work in ARAF is proceeding exactly according to the parameters that were agreed upon earlier.

According to her, the attitude of the representatives of the international federation has really changed and became more positive.

She believes that part of this was due to the understanding and mutual respect between her and Coe as former athletes, but also due to the work of the entire organization.

“It's nice that there are some positive dynamics, positive rhetoric on the part of the working group and Lord Coe himself.

So far, everything is going as planned.

The roadmap ends in March.

Therefore, we are waiting for spring, when everything should be finally decided, we hope, in our favor, ”the multiple world champion emphasized.

Thus, domestic athletes will spend the winter season in a neutral status, but there is a hope that they will go to the World Championship, which was postponed to next summer, under the flag of Russia.

It largely depends on each athlete, coach and the realization that the slightest offense can cost a lot of years of work.

Moreover, according to Andersen, there are still people in Russia who have not accepted the new anti-doping culture, and ARAF needs to do everything possible to "prevent their influence on the new generation of athletes and coaches."

“We are on a difficult path and there is still much to be done.

But the main thing that has already been achieved, and this is a fact - there can never be a return to the past.

Pure sports and pure athletes are the only way to develop sports all over the world and, in particular, in Russian athletics, ”Privalova concluded.