IAAF calls for “immediate” anti-doping sanctions in Russia

Sport360 staff 20:31 19/11/2015
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  • Punishments to come: IAAF's Sebastian Coe.

    The IAAF on Thursday called for "immediate" sanctions against Russian athletes and coaches caught doping as a condition for the drugs-tainted national federation to regain membership of world athletics' ruling body.

    It also demanded a law in Russia to criminalize sports doping and a system so that athletes can "safely tip-off" authorites about drug cheats.

    IAAF president Sebastian Coe said the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) cannot be readmitted to the world body until all criteria set by the IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) are met.

    Following recommendations by a WADA independent commission, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) provisionally suspended Russia from international competition, raising the possibility of Russian track stars being excluded from next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

    Russian sports authorities have remained adamant that the country's track and field athletes will be at the Olympics, pledging to restore the country's IAAF membership within three months.

    The IAAF said the ARAF's readmission will be verified a special inspection team "based upon criteria which will be decided by the IAAF in consultation with WADA."

    The five principle criteria are headed by "immediate corrective and disciplinary measures" against "all athletes, athlete support personnel, administrators, members or other persons who have committed an anti-doping rule violation or engaged in any kind of intentional act of complicity," said the IAAF in a statement.

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