ACTING Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) President Yulia Tarasenko has claimed it is still possible for athletes from the country to be cleared to compete as neutrals at Tokyo 2020, despite the suspension of the governing body’s reinstatement process.
Tarasenko, who replaced Dmitry Shlyakhtin after he was among the RusAF officials charged with obstructing a doping investigation, revealed she was expecting Russian athletes to be given the opportunity to participate at next year’s Olympic Games.
World Athletics froze the reinstatement process for RusAF and warned it would consider expelling the organization, following the “serious anti-doping breaches” alleged by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
It also agreed that the current system of allowing Russian athletes to compete as Authorised Neutral Athletes should be put on hold.
Russia has since been handed a four-year ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), after an investigation found data from the Moscow Laboratory had been tampered with before it was handed over to the global watchdog.
The sanctions from Wada mean Russia’s flag will be banned from major events, including Tokyo 2020, while the country is also set to be stripped of World Championships it has been awarded.
Wada ruled that Russian athletes who can prove they had no involvement in the doping scandal, or the cover-up, will be able to compete—a condition Tarasenko claims should apply to track and field competitors.
“It’s possible under a neutral flag, like with all other sports as far as I understand,” Tarasenko, whose appointment as acting president was met with criticism from some Russian athletes, said.
RusAF confirmed it had sent its response to the AIU by yesterday’s deadline, following the charges against officials at the governing body.