​Russia’s track and field federation has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an effort to overturn World Athletics’ ruling that keeps its athletes barred from international competition because of the war in Ukraine. World Athletics first barred all Russian and Belarusian athletes from its events in March 2022, soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That suspension was reaffirmed at a council meeting held last week. This stance stands in contrast to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has recently relaxed its restrictions on Russia in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—a move the Kremlin called an “important step” and urged other sports bodies to follow.
In an official statement, Russian Athletics contended that World Athletics’ decision “affects the fundamental interests of athletics in Russia and restricts Russian athletes’ right to compete, on grounds that Russian Athletics considers discriminatory.” The federation said it would continue pursuing all available legal avenues to safeguard the interests of its athletes. World Athletics has pledged to defend the case vigorously.
Seb Coe indicated that discussions had taken place about a potential pathway for Russia to return to international competition, though a concrete plan was not approved. “We take note of the Russian athletics federation’s appeal to CAS, and we will be strenuously defending our position,” World Athletics stated. Coe had, last week, described considerations for a conditional pathway back into global competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes but noted that no decision had been made to alter the sanctions. He explained that the governing body had presented various options for the council to weigh, but the original sanctions, aimed at preserving the integrity and fairness of competitions, remained in place, with no progress toward peace negotiations having materialized.
Russia has not competed under its own flag at any world athletics championships since 2015, when the Russian track federation was suspended amid widespread doping concerns. A program allowing athletes to compete under a neutral flag was terminated in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine. The initial World Athletics suspension related to doping had been lifted in 2023. Consequently, no Russian athletes took part in Olympic track and field events at the 2024 Paris Games, since the sport’s qualification system is administered by World Athletics, even though the IOC permitted neutral athletes in other sports.
CAS did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation that the case had been officially registered.