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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Russian federation fined $10 mln for breaching anti-doping rules

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Russian federation fined $10 mln for breaching anti-doping rules
Russian federation fined $10 mln for breaching anti-doping rules

The Russian Athletics Federation is fined $10 million dollars and only 10 Russian track and field athletes will be able to compete in the Olympics as neutrals over doping scandal.

SHOWS: MONACO (MARCH 12, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF WORLD ATHLETICS' RUSSIA TASKFORCE, RUNE ANDERSEN, SAYING: "The council has adopted a package.

A package of sanctions for RusAF (Russian Athletics Federation) admitted breaches of the anti-doping rules, that sent a clear message of condemnation and deterrence of wrongdoing by the previous regime while at the same time incentivising the new regime to start instigating real change.

This includes imposing a $10 million U.S. dollar fine and making $5 million payable immediately but suspending payment of the remaining $5 million U.S. dollars on condition that RusAF does not re-offend and makes meaningful progress towards re-instatement." 2.

PEOPLE SEATED 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF WORLD ATHLETICS' RUSSIA TASKFORCE, RUNE ANDERSEN, SAYING: "It also includes putting a 10-person cap on authorised neutral athletes at the Olympics, the European championships and other key event this year.

Said cap will be reviewed at the end of the year to decide if it should stay the same or go up or down.

The idea again is to create an incentive to start making real changes." 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD ATHLETICS PRESIDENT, SEBASTIAN COE, SAYING: "This was a judgment that was made and I think it meets the tests for me: is it necessary?

Yes.

Is it realistic?

Yes.

Is it proportionate?

Yes.

The fundamental position for me has always been, to find a navigable route for athletes into competition.

I think it meets that." STORY: The Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) has been fined $10 million for breaching anti-doping rules and a maximum of 10 Russian track and field athletes will be allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics as neutrals, World Athletics said on Thursday (March 11).

Russia's athletics federation was suspended in 2015 after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of mass doping among track and field athletes in the country.

Yet some of its officials and senior coaches have since been involved in doping scandals, undermining the country's efforts to have the ban lifted.

World Athletics, the sport's global body governing, said on Thursday it was limiting to 10 the number of Russians who could be eligible to compete in track and field as neutrals at this year's Tokyo Olympics.

It also reinstated the process by which Russian athletes can apply to compete internationally as neutrals after demonstrating that they train in a doping-free environment.

That vetting process will be once again suspended if Russia fails to pay half of the $10 million dollar fine by July 1, World Athletics said.

World Athletics stopped clearing Russians to compete internationally in November last year.

That followed the provisional suspension of the federation's president at the time, Dmitry Shlyakhtin, and six other people for having provided false explanations and forged documents to justify missed doping tests by high jumper Danil Lysenko.

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