Russia Taskforce Report to Council Meeting of 22 November 2019 / Rune Andersen. - Monaco : World Athletics, 2019
RusAF reinstatement process suspended
The World Athletics Council announced that the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) reinstatement process has been suspended, pending the resolution of the recent charges brought by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
On Thursday 21 November 2019, the AIU charged RusAF with obstructing an investigation and provisionally suspended several senior federation officials for tampering and complicity.
The Taskforce, chaired by Rune Andersen, made the following recommendations that were approved by the Council:
- Council immediately suspends the RusAF reinstatement process, pending resolution of the AIU’s charges.
- Council mandates the members of the Taskforce and the Doping Review Board to review the ‘Authorised Neutral Athlete’ (ANA) mechanism that Council put in place in June 2016, and to make recommendations to Council as to whether that mechanism can and should continue to be used given the recent developments, and in what form. Any ANA applications received in the interim to be held in abeyance pending such review.
- Council mandates the Taskforce to make recommendations to Council as to the sanctions that Council should impose on RusAF if it is determined that RusAF has breached its obligations under the anti-doping rules, and whether Congress should be asked to consider the expulsion of RusAF from membership of World Athletics.
