It was after Russia's invasion of Ukraine that the International Athletics Federation, like many other sports organizations, decided to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from their competitions.
SVT got an interview with chairman Sebastian Coe before the indoor WC in Belgrade.
- It is never an easy decision.
Excluding athletes from participating in a competition is always difficult.
But I think it was the right decision.
We had to balance against the rights of Ukrainian athletes.
Some of them may not be here for obvious reasons.
Some hide in bunkers.
What is required to revoke the decision?
- It will happen when we feel that Ukrainian athletes can compete freely and on fair terms.
That they can train properly and return to some form of normalcy.
It may take some time.
This is mainly about the integrity of the sport.
By this decision, you have distanced yourself from Russia and Belarus. In a year, you will have the Indoor World Cup in China, which is a non-democratic state. What do you say about that?
- We do not make decisions solely from a political point of view.
This is a war and it's very different.
- And yes, you're right.
All organizations will need to confront things in the future.
But I think it's better to take those things when they come.
Is there a limit to when you can include a nation in an ongoing war?
- It is about when the board of the International Athletics Federation feels that the athletes can compete on equal terms.
When they can train, have freedom of movement and are not in a war zone.
Right now you can not say that.
There have been reports of cooperation between China and Russia.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, among others, issued a joint statement opposing "any further enlargement of NATO."