Doping board okays 23 Russians as neutral athletes for international events

 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The World Athletics Doping Review Board has agreed that the applications of 23 Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes in 2021 under Eligibility Rule 3.2 while the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended.

According to the doping board, these 23 athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria for 2021. They are Mikhail Akimenko (high jump), Semen Borodayev (shot put, discus), Timofey Chalyy (400m hurdles, 400m), Kirill Frolov (race walking), Darya Golubechkova (race walking), Dmitriy Gramachkov (race walking), Irina Ivanova (pole vault), Yuliya Khalilova (race walking), Elvira Khasanova (race walking), Kseniya Labygina (100m hurdles), Denis Lukyanov (hammer), Alyona Lutkovskaya (pole vault), Vasiliy Mizinov (race walking) and Olga Onufriyenko (800m).

Others are  Maksim Pyanzin (race walking), Sergey Polyanskiy (long jump), Artem Primak (long jump), Mariya Privalova (triple jump), Valeriy Pronkin (hammer), Yelena Sokolova (long jump), Sardana Trofimova (marathon), Anna Tropina (3000m steeplechase, 1500m, 5000m) and Yuliya Turova (race walking).

A total of 27 Russian athletes have so far been declared eligible to compete as authorised neutral athletes in 2021. Two applications have so far been rejected. The World Athletics Council approved the reinstatement of the authorised neutral athlete (ANA) programme for clean athletes from Russia in March 2021, following the approval of the RusAF Reinstatement Plan.

According to the board, there is no cap on the number of Russian athletes who may compete at international competitions in 2021 (outside of the Olympic Games and other championships), provided they have ANA status.

However, the Council agreed that for the remainder of 2021, no more than 10 Russian athletes will be granted eligibility to compete as authorised neutral athletes at any championship competition, including the Tokyo Olympic Games, World Athletics Series events and the 2021 European U23 Championships.

The board is of the view that RusAF may choose which 10 athletes are able to compete from those who have been granted ANA status, but it must prioritise the selection of athletes who are in the International Registered Testing Pool. The participation of all athletes granted ANA status is still subject to formalities under World Athletics Rules being completed and to acceptance of their entries by individual meeting organisers.