Moscow
The Russian sports Ministry has sent a letter to World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) so that the former would accommodate the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) on the issue of doping fines, Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Wednesday.
In 2015, World Athletics, then known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation, suspended the RusAF’s membership over alleged doping violations. In March, World Athletics fined the federation $10 million, five of them on a provisional basis, intending to allow Russian athletes to compete as Authorized Neutral Athletes only after a 5 million fine is paid until July 1.
“As far as I know, the fine has not been paid as of now, we have sent a letter to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, [and] to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach so that our athletes would not suffer so that the sanctions imposed on the federation would not be imposed on the athletes’ activity,” Matytsin said.
According to the minister, the RusAF situation has been undermined by both the wrong steps taken by the previous leadership as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to pay the demanded sum.—APP
