IAAF clears 3 Russian athletes

Track and field authorities have cleared three Russian athletes in time to compete next month at European indoor track championships and another high-profile event.

The International Association of Athletics Federations established new criteria requiring Russian athletes to show they had been subject to compliant anti-doping systems while the Russian track federation is suspended for widespread doping.

The three athletes cleared to compete as neutral athletes Thursday are pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova, the 2015 European indoor champion, sprinter Kristina Sivkova and hammer thrower Alexei Sokirsky, who will compete at the European Throwing Cup.

Thursday was the entry deadline for the European championships, which are scheduled for March 3-5 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Long jumper Darya Klishina and sprinter Yulia Stepanova had previously been declared eligible and will remain so, the IAAF said.

Klishina was the only Russian track and field athlete to compete at last year’s Olympics.

Stepanova is the whistleblower who was cleared by IAAF but denied entry into the Olympics by the IOC.