Doping whistle-blower cleared to run

MOSCOW: Russian doping whistle-blower Yulia Stepanova’s application to compete as an individual athlete had been accepted, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said yesterday.

The former drug cheat’s revelations helped expose the massive doping problem in her country and she left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue.

Stepanova, a middle-distance runner, looks likely to make a comeback as early as Wednesday in the 800m after European Athletics approved her participation in the continental championships in Amsterdam.

She is to hold a news conference on Monday in the Dutch city, together with the president of European Athletics, Svein Arne Hansen.

The IAAF said its doping review board had unanimously accepted Stepanova’s application, adding that it had received more than 80 formal requests from Russian athletes seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in an individual capacity.

“Stepanova is now eligible to compete in international competitions as an independent neutral athlete,” the IAAF said.

European Athletics said it recognised Stepanova’s “exceptional contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes”.

“If Stepanova takes her place in Amsterdam, she will compete under the European Athletics flag and is scheduled to compete in the first round of the women’s 800m on Wednesday 6 July,” European Athletics said.

It was still unclear, however, whether she would be eligible to compete at the Rio Olympics, with the IAAF saying it was up to organisers to decide.

“Ms Stepanova’s participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition,” the IAAF said.

The International Olympic Committee said it would study the decision once it had received the file from the IAAF. – Reuters