IAAF Upholds Ban On Russian Athletes

IAAF Upholds Ban On Russian Athletes By: Francis Joseph Russian athletes will remain banned from international competitions until further notice, says athletics' governing body. The IAAF banned Russia in November 2015 because of evidence of state-sponsored doping. The ban will remain in place until samples and data from Moscow's former anti-doping laboratory are made available. Russia must also pay all costs incurred by the work of the IAAF's taskforce. It is the 10th time the IAAF has turned down Russia's appeal for reinstatement, having requested the same assurances when it upheld the ban in December. The decision puts the IAAF at odds with other sporting bodies such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who have revoked their own suspensions of Russia. "There are two outstanding issues," said Rune Andersen, head of the IAAF's doping task force. "These need to be resolved."