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.

Russia Taskforce Report to Council Meeting of 17 November 2021 / Rune Andersen. - Monaco : World Athletics, 2021

Chair of the Russia Taskforce, Rune Anderson, presented the Taskforce’s latest report before the Congress vote on 17 November 2021.

The World Athletics Congress has approved the World Athletics Council’s recommendation that the Russian Federation continues to be suspended while the Council oversees completion of the Russian reinstatement plan.

Russia Taskforce Report to Council Meeting of 2 December 2020 / Rune Andersen. - Monaco : World Athletics, 2020

The chair of the Russian Taskforce Rune Andersen reported on 2 December 2020 that there has been progress on the part of the Russian Federation in developing a meaningful Reinstatement Plan to drive the cultural change required for Russia to return to full international membership of the sport.

Andersen said that a foundation had been laid in recent months for the new RusAF leadership, which was elected on Monday, to put an appropriate plan in place by the deadline of 1 March 2021.

The two independent experts appointed by World Athletics to work with RusAF are Margarita Pakhnotskaya, the former deputy Director-General of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency RUSADA, and Vladas Stankevicius, a Russian-speaking change management professional, lawyer and ethics and compliance expert. Former World Anti-Doping Agency international expert Peter Nicholson will support the other two experts remotely.

Andersen confirmed that he had an “open and constructive” first discussion with the new RusAF President Piotr Ivanov and requested that Ivanov work closely with the international experts to move the plan forward.

The Council approved revised terms of reference for the Taskforce to reflect these recent developments.

RusAF must meet the deadline of 1 March 2021 and continue to pay the costs associated with the reinstatement process or the Council decision from July this year – to propose that Congress expels RusAF from membership of World Athletics – will come into effect.

The Council will consider whether to allow Russian athletes to compete again as Authorised Neutral Athletes in international competitions (including allowing up to 10 ANAs to participate in World Athletics Series events and the Tokyo Olympic Games) at its next meeting, in March 2021, or earlier if the Taskforce so recommends, based on the progress made by RusAF to that date.

Russia Taskforce Report to Council Meeting of 18 March 2021 / Rune Andersen. - Monaco : World Athletics, 2021

The World Athletics Council has approved the reinstatement of the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) programme for clean athletes from Russia, which will commence in time for the 2021 outdoor competition season.

The Russian Taskforce Report, with two amendments from the Council which are listed below, states that for the remainder of 2021, no more than 10 Russian athletes will be granted eligibility to compete as ANA athletes at any championship competition, including the Tokyo Olympic Games, World Athletics Series events and the 2021 European U23 Championships.

The Russian Federation (RusAF) may choose which 10 athletes are able to compete from those who have been granted ANA status, but it must prioritise the selection of athletes who are in the International Registered Testing Pool.

There is no cap on the number of Russian athletes who may compete at other international competitions, provided they have ANA status.

Russian athletes in the under 15 age group may continue to compete in under 15 international competitions as neutral athletes without applying to the Doping Review Board.

However, these provisions may be revoked at any time if World Athletics’ Russia Taskforce advises that satisfactory progress is not being made against the milestones and Key Performance Indicators set out in the Reinstatement Plan.

The World Athletics Council will review the ANA programme at its final meeting in 2021 to determine if it should be renewed or revised for international competition in 2022.

The RusAF Reinstatement Plan was approved by the Council on 1 March and Taskforce Chair Rune Andersen said in his report to the Council that “strong pressure needs to be maintained to ensure that RusAF’s stakeholders remain incentivised to back RusAF management in their implementation of the plan”.

He added that “the Taskforce strongly sympathises with clean Russian athletes who continue to miss out on participation in international competitions while the work towards reinstatement of RusAF continues”.

The Council also agreed that the decision made in July 2020 to propose that Congress expels RusAF from memberships of World Athletics, will be reactivated if RusAF does not continue to pay the full costs of the reinstatement process and/or does not make satisfactory progress against the Reinstatement Plan.

Andersen said the Taskforce would continue to monitor RusAF’s progress carefully.

Russia Taskforce Report to Council Meeting of 14 July 2022 / Rune Andersen. - Monaco : World Athletics, 2022

Following an update from the Russian Taskforce, the Council approved the recommendation that an independent audit of RusAF’s processes and progress against the reinstatement plan and KPIs should be conducted mid to late October 2022.

The Taskforce will also continue its oversight and monitoring of RusAF’s implementation of the reinstatement plan, and report on the outcome of the audit at the next Council Meeting in November 2022.

Russia Taskforce Report to Council Meeting of 10 March 2022 / Rune Andersen. - Monaco : World Athletics, 2022

The Council approved three recommendations from the Russia Taskforce in regard to the Russian reinstatement process.

Taskforce chairman Rune Andersen acknowledged that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had “cast a shadow” over the whole of Russia, including sport. But the Taskforce recommended that the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) reinstatement process should continue, to avoid the “very real risk” that RusAF would revert to past doping practices if the process was suspended now.

“Such a loss and backsliding would undermine that cultural change that RusAF has been cultivating and ultimately be detrimental to the interests of clean Russian athletes, the athletes in other countries with whom they compete, and therefore the integrity of future international competitions,” Andersen’s report explains.

Andersen told the Council that RusAF had made significant progress in many areas described in the roadmap, but that it was not yet fit for reinstatement.

Concerns remained around the leadership of RUSADA, Russia’s national anti-doping agency, and the fact that RusAF had not yet paid the reinstatement costs incurred by World Athletics for the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

Andersen warned that if payment was not made as a matter of urgency, this would be regarded as a breach of the reinstatement conditions and would lead to action against RusAF, which could include a suspension of the reinstatement process.

He further acknowledged that restricted travel, due to the invasion, would create challenges for the Taskforce in its oversight and monitoring role, which could lead to changes in the way it operates.

The Council accepted the following recommendations from the Taskforce:

1. The Taskforce continues its oversight and monitoring of RusAF’s implementation of the Reinstatement Plan and KPIs, guided to the extent possible in current circumstances by the international experts. The Taskforce shall report on its work to Council at its next meeting in July 2022 or, if required, earlier.
2. The Taskforce meet with RusAF to discuss progress against the Reinstatement Plan based on the KPIs, to assess and, if necessary, update the Reinstatement Plan and the KPIs, and possibly discuss and/or agree a specific timeline for consideration of reinstatement.
3. The Taskforce review the Post-Reinstatement Conditions including the RusAF’s feedback on them and present them to the Council at its next meeting in July 2022 for approval and/or discussion, as the Taskforce deems appropriate at that time.

Andersen cautioned that presenting the post-reinstatement conditions to Council for approval in July did not mean that the Taskforce would recommend RusAF be reinstated at that time. He said any consideration of reinstatement would be “subject to further discussions”.

In June 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Lithuanian Athlete Zita Kosač after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substances Mestanolone, Methasterone and Oxymetholone.

Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete filed a statement in her defence. She believed that her supplement was the source of the prohibited substances.

With approval of the AIU the Athlete provided an open container of this supplement and a sealed container (from a different batch) to the Warshaw Lab for testing. Thereupon analysis in the Lab confirmed the presence of these prohibited substances in both containers of this supplement.

The Athlete asserted that the supplement was the source of the prohibited substances and that she had mentioned this product on the Doping Control Form. Ultimately in February 2024 she signed and submitted an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance Form. 

In view of the evidence the AIU accepts that the Athlete's violation was not intentional and that she demonstrated how the substances had entered her system. The AIU determines that she acted with No Significant Fault or Negligence.

Further the AIU considers that the prohibited substances were not mentioned on the product label of this supplement and that she had participated into a Marathon in September 2023 during the provisional suspension.

Therefore the AIU decides on 16 February 2024 to impose a 6 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting backdated on 25 July 2023.

In April 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Chinese Athlete Xin Zhang after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Metandienone. Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete filed a statement in her defence.

The Athlete explained that in March 2023 she had attended a group training run and that there had been een mix up of drink bottles. The drink bottle she had prepared for was similar to the drink bottle prepared by others.

The Athlete had contacted the participants who had attended the group training run. She claimed that a Training Partner had added Dianabol (Metandienone) into his bottle to improve muscle strength.

AIU requested assistance from the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) with an investigation into the Athlete's explanation. CHINADA's investigation confirmed that the Training Partner had admitted the use of Methandienone in his drink bottle. Besides he had also purchased and used other banned substances.

The AIU concludes that the Athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation and that she failed to demonstrate that the violation was not intentional. Thereupon in September 2023 the AIU submitted a Notice of Charge to the Athlete and an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form.

Hereafter the Athlete gave a timely admission, waived her right for a hearing and accepted the sanction proposed by the AIU. Because she had signed and submitted the Acceptance of Consequences Form she received a 1 year reduction from the AIU.

Therefore the AIU decides on 18 October 2023 to impose a 3 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 21 April 2023.

In February 2024 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf on World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenyan Athlete Winnie Jemutai Boinett after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Testosterone and its metabolites.

Following notification the Athlete timely admitted the violation, waived her right for a hearing, accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by the AIU. The Athlete explained that she had received several medical treatments in hospitals for her injury without having corroborating documents.

The AIU deems that the Athlete failed to demonstrate that the violation was not intentional. Because she had signed and submitted the Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form she received a 1 year reduction from the AIU.

Therefore the AIU decides on 11 March 2024 to impose a 3 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 29 February 2024.

In November 2022 the South American Sports Organization (ODESUR) reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Bolivian Athlete Basco Mamani after his sample, provided during 2022 South America Games, tested positive for the prohibited substance Clenbuterol.

As a result on 30 March 2023 ODESUR ruled that the Athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation. Hereafter the case was referred to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to consider consequences to be imposed on the Athlete.

Following notification in July 2023 a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal.

The Athlete admitted the violation and denied the intentional use of the substance. He explained that in October 2022 he suffered from a cold and consulted a doctor when his condition deteriorated.

Thereupon he receiveid from the pharmacy the wrong medication Ambroterol instead of the prescribed Ambroxol. He claimed that when he contacted the pharmacy and his doctor he was told that both medications had the same composition and were valid, although both people lacked doping knowledge.

The Athlete acknowledged that he had not checked his medication before using, nor mentioned his medication to his sport doctors at the Games when he received further medical treatment. Because he was so sick at the Games he also failed to mention properly all his medication on the Doping Control Form.

The AIU contended that the Athlete failed to demonstrate that the violation was not intentional. Furthermore the AIU deemed that the Athlete was not credible because of several inconsistencies in his conduct, his evidence and his testimonies.

In view of the evidence the Panel concludes that the Athlete had demonstrated how the prohibited substance had entered his system. Yet, he failed to establish that the violation was not intentional.

The Panel determines that without any precautions the Athlete clearly had acted recklessly with his medication. He failed to check the ingredients of the mediation with anyone, not even with his sports doctor, neither did he even look at the label of the medication.

Therefore the Panel decides on 5 December 2023 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 19 July 2023.