Russia tells Coe it wants ban lifted

The Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF) has written to the sport’s global chief Lord Coe to ask for its near three-year suspension to be lifted “as soon as possible”.

RUSAF boss Dmitry Shylakhtin’s letter tells the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president that he has filed a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeal against the July decision to maintain the ban.

RUSAF was set up soon after its forerunner organisation, the All-russian Athletics Federation, was suspended by the IAAF in November 2015, when an investigation by former World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) president Dick Pound revealed endemic and systemic doping in Russian athletics.

The Pound investigation also led to the suspension of the Russian Anti-doping Agency, as it played a central role in a doping scandal that was widened to the entire Russian sports system, but last week its suspension was conditionally lifted by WADA’S executive committee.

An IAAF spokesperson said: “We stand behind the decisions we have made and are very confident of our legal position.”