IAAF upholds ban against Russia into 2019

Russian athletes will remain banned from international athletics competitions after the IAAF today upheld the country's suspension into 2019.

The IAAF banned the Russian Athletic Federation (RusAF) in November 2015 following revelations of state-sponsored doping in an independent report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The ban will remain in place until samples and data from Moscow's former anti-doping laboratory are made available.

It is the ninth time the IAAF has turned down Russia's appeal for reinstatement and the ruling means Russian athletes will not be able to compete under their own flag at the European Indoor Championships in February. More than 70 Russian athletes competed as neutrals at the European Championships in Berlin in August.

The IAAF's decision comes despite the International Olympic Committee and WADA having revoked their own suspensions of Russia.

Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency, commented,  "The IAAF's decision to keep Russia suspended is a refreshing reminder that anti-doping decision-making should always be built on principles.”