IAAF maintains doping ban on Russian athletes

MONACO — The IAAF extended its ban on Russia’s participation in international competitions on Tuesday, with no clarity on whether the suspension may be lifted before next year’s world championships in Qatar.

Sticking to a harder line than the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee, a meeting of the IAAF council wasn’t prepared to draw the line under the scandal of Russian doping and coverups.

The IAAF still has two remaining conditions for Russia to be reinstated. It wants the country to pay its substantial costs, including legal costs, incurred from dealing with the Russian doping crisis.

“This debt must be settled,” said Rune Andersen, who heads the IAAF task force dealing with Russia. While Russia has promised to pay, “We need to receive the money.”

The IAAF also is pressuring for its antidoping unit to get access to data and drug-test samples from a Moscow laboratory that could help identify more Russian athletes suspected of doping.

“Russian athletes cannot return to international competition unconditionally until that such issue is resolved one way or another,” he said.

The IAAF stance won outside praise. British sports minister Mims Davies said it sent “a clear message that Russia must co-operate fully before it can be back in the fold.”

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said upholding the ban “is a refreshing reminder that antidoping decision-making should always be built on principles. We all hope a clean Russia returns to the international sporting community, but not at the expense of clean athletes.”