World Athletics' stance on Russian athletes 'won't change' - Coe

Russian athletes have petitioned global sports and human rights organizations to lift World Athletics' ban on them, contending that the four-year exclusion has undermined their careers. In an open letter dated September 10, the athletes addressed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission, the IOC Advisory Committee on Human Rights, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The letter emphasized that athletics is their life, and four years is a significant period in an athlete's life. World Athletics reaffirmed its decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions on July 3, maintaining sanctions first imposed following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The athletes filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport on July 9 and lodged another appeal last month.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe reiterated that the federation's stance remains unchanged, emphasizing that the ban is about preserving competition integrity. The Russian athletes argue that the ban constitutes collective punishment and is inconsistent with other sports federations that have gradually reintegrated Russian and Belarusian athletes under neutral status.

The IOC provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee on July 8, a significant step toward Russia's reintegration into the Olympic fold ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The athletes contend that the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the ban is having a personal toll, as a legal or institutional process can continue for years, while an athlete's career cannot.

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