Russia stance will be defended in court, pledges World Athletics chief Coe

What the report says

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe says the governing body will defend its suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after Russian Athletics filed a new challenge to the sanctions. The case comes as World Athletics keeps in place a ban first imposed in March 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as debate continues across international sport over how to treat Russian competitors.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, Russian Athletics argues the restrictions are selective and political, and says they stop the federation from properly representing Russian athletes internationally. Coe, speaking at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, said World Athletics believes eligibility rules should be set by the sport’s international federation and that the position would be defended in court. He said the body sees the issue as one of competition integrity rather than politics.

The article also notes that World Athletics’ approach remains stricter than that of some other sports bodies. The International Olympic Committee has said Russian athletes will be allowed in team events and qualifying competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while World Gymnastics and the International Skating Union have eased their restrictions. Ukraine has criticized the IOC’s move, and World Athletics says it has continued support measures for Ukrainian athletes whose training and competition conditions remain affected by the war.