Russian track federation suspended, could miss Rio Olympics

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Russian track federation suspended, could miss Rio Olympics

STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — Calling it a wake-up call for a sport in a "shameful" position, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said Russia will be banned from next year's Olympics unless it convinces the world it has cleaned up its act on doping.

The sport's governing body provisionally suspended Russia's track and field federation on Friday, four days after the country was accused of operating a vast, state-sponsored doping program in a damning report by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission.

The move bars Russia from all international track and field competition for an indefinite period, including the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, until the country is judged to have fixed its problems and fallen into line with global anti-doping rules.

Coe called the decision — approved 22-1 in a secret vote of the IAAF council via teleconference — "the toughest sanction we can apply at this time." It's the first time the International Association of Athletics Federations has ever banned a country over its doping failures.

"The whole system has failed the athletes, not just in Russia but around the world," Coe said after a meeting that lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours. "This has been a shameful wake-up call and we are clear that cheating at any level will not be tolerated."

"It makes me angry," added Coe, a two-time Olympic 1,500-meter champion from Britain. "We find ourselves in a shameful position tonight."

Coe, who was elected IAAF president in August, had been under heavy pressure to take tough action, despite efforts by Russian officials to avoid a blanket ban by agreeing to cooperate and make reforms in their anti-doping system.

"This is not about politics, this is about protection of clean athletes," Coe said. "It is why our council has sent such a strong message."

Coe said Russia will need to fulfill "a list of criteria" to win reinstatement. An independent inspection team led by Norwegian anti-doping expert Rune Andersen will be appointed in the next few days to verify Russia's progress.

Still uncertain is whether the Russian federation will be able to reform in time for its athletes to compete at the Rio Games, which run from Aug. 5-21.

"It is entirely up to the Russian federation and Russia to enact those changes," Coe said. "Our verification team will be tough. ... It is for the IAAF and no other organization to make that judgment. We will get the change that we want and only then will Russian athletes be able to return to competition."

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said he is hopeful Russia will be able to compete at the world indoor championships in Portland, Oregon, from March 17-20.

"Anyway, the main thing is the Olympics," he said.

Unless the Russian federation voluntarily accepts a full suspension, the IAAF will hold a hearing to elevate the provisional penalty to a full suspension.

Russia will also be stripped of hosting the world race walking team championships in Cheboksary from May 7-15, and the world junior championships in Kazan from July 19-24.

Russian athletes are eligible to compete in their own national events during the ban.

Russia's IAAF council member, Mikhail Butov, addressed Friday's meeting but did not take part in the vote. He said Russia's return to competition "will depend on how convincing we are with our case and how objective the commission is."

"We'll work with them," he told reporters in Moscow.

WADA called the IAAF decision "positive news for clean athletes worldwide."

It came on the same day that a WADA committee found Russia's national anti-doping agency to be non-compliant with its code. The findings will go to the WADA foundation board, which will vote on it next Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

WADA has already suspended the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow.

Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said the IAAF's suspension of Russia was the "only outcome acceptable to clean athletes."

"The real test now is to ensure full justice and accountability for all their actions before being allowed to compete again," he said.

Coe announced that Paul Deighton, who served as chief executive of the organizing committee for the 2012 London Olympics, will oversee a program of reform of the IAAF's governance.

Coe also said he will create an "integrity unit" dealing with doping, illegal betting, age cheating and corruption.

"We need to look at ourselves within our sport, my organization as well," Coe said, "and we will do that."

___

AP Sports Writers James Ellingworth in Moscow and Eddie Pells in Denver and Associated Press writer Jack Bezants in London contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-11-14

[Usernames]

Who voted for the Russians? The Chinese?

[fvw53]

Since the days that sports became a symbol of nationalistic pride ....we will have always cheating....and denying of cheating

[Publicus]

Which if true means Russia and Putin are being singled out at this time and in the context of international issues to include nationalistic military aggression.

Which is all well and good. Russian revanchism and irredentism are being checked comprehensively and deeply

Putin wants to be isolated, Putin can be isolated and he is isolated. Already isolated and only increasingly isolated.

Self-isolating.

[Toadman]

Wow! So Russia has to dope themselves to be even remotely competitive with all the world's athletes!

Those must be some swell athletes from all countries but Russia!

Shame on you Russia! ... NOT!

[ronrat]

WADA are are gravy train with Dick Pound the worst.Its taken years to sort out a mess in Australia for a team that plays a game totally alienable to the Olympics. If they sacked the old bugger and put someone else in charge we may see results. They are nearly as bad as FIFA. The penalties need to be banned for life. Nothing less. But time and time again we see compromise.And bluster. You wonder what will happen if say a golfer earning millions a year, or a footballer, tests positive to coke before Brazil what will happen . Test every athlete in Brazil before competition and give them life time bans from the OLYMPICS.

[puukao]

don't dope......homeless, zero skill set...

dope....sponsors, house, cash....

for most of us, we fall in the middle and can make a rational choice.

for others......there is really only one option.

come on, Lance on dope is worth over 100 million.....no doping probably worth not much by the age of 50.

but money attracts the athletes....if soccer paid zero....then all those athletes would do another sport.

[Basil B]

Who voted for the Russians? The Chinese?

The Russians???

I am sure this goes further than just athletics...

Hope FIFA investigate whether the doping included footballers too... would love to see the 2018 World Cup moved as I am sure they bribed FIFA officials.

[Toadman]

But seriously... someone needs to watch the watchers!

Has anyone any idea that a 500 mg tablet of Tylenol or simply Ibuprofen can get a positive result before an event?

It's getting a bit strange, the standards they are setting and without any control

[Sophon]

Who voted for the Russians? The Chinese?

The Russians???

>snipped<

My first thought too. But no, from reading other reports, the Russians weren't allowed to vote in the conference.

Sophon