Athletics: Coe maintains exclusion of Russian athletes despite CAS appeal

The measure, implemented in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, affects Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials, and support staff. The World Athletics Council reconfirmed this decision during its meeting on July 1 and 2, 2026, while continuing to review a potential conditional pathway for return.

The Russian Athletics Federation, RusAF, filed an appeal with the CAS on July 9 to contest the extension of the exclusion. On August 10, it announced a second procedure aimed more broadly at the sanctions that also limit its participation in World Athletics decision-making bodies. RusAF argues that these restrictions infringe upon the rights of its athletes and the federation.

When asked on the sidelines of the final day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Coe indicated that the international federation would continue to defend its position in arbitration. However, he acknowledged that a solution must ultimately be found and that the goal remains to achieve full global participation in athletics.

Russia had already been suspended from international athletics in 2015 due to a widespread doping scandal. This institutional suspension was lifted in March 2023 following the implementation of a reintegration plan, without ending the separate exclusion related to the war in Ukraine.

In its decision published on July 3, 2026, World Athletics specified that its working group on the status of Russians and Belarusians continues to study the conditions for a potential return. No reintegration date has been announced.