Russian athletes remain barred from international competitions "
for the foreseeable future
" due to the war in Ukraine, although the International Olympic Committee is beginning to consider their reinstatement, according to the president of the International Athletics Federation Sebastian Coe.
"
For me, nothing has changed
," said the boss of World Athletics during a virtual exchange with several journalists, when asked about the door ajar last Friday to Russian and Belarusian athletes during the 11th "
Olympic Summit
", while the IOC recommended since the end of February to all international federations that they be banned from the sporting world.
Echoing the terms of the decision announced by World Athletics on March 1, Sebastian Coe assured that his position remained "
very clear
" about the Russians: "
all the athletes, as well as the coaching staff - + the entourage +, for to use an IOC expression – are excluded from all events organized by World Athletics, for the foreseeable future
”.
Read alsoOlympism: the IOC wants to “explore ways” of reintegrating Russian and Belarusian athletes, says Bach
Without deciding anything for the moment, the Olympic Summit had outlined on Friday the track of a reintegration of the Russians and Belarusians in dispersed order, according to the geographical areas and the sports: the Olympic Committee of Asia offered to "
facilitate (their) participation
" in competitions organized in Asia, and certain international federations - not named in the final press release - considered that there "
should no longer be the same solution for all
".
Invited to this meeting held behind closed doors in Lausanne, Sebastian Coe could not go there because his "
nephew was getting married
", he explained, but he was able to give "
his opinion
", and agrees with the idea that it is up to each international federation "
to carefully assess whether, for its sport, the reasons for these protective measures still exist
".
"
We will continue to protect the integrity of our sport
", he announced, recalling that the situation was "
a little more complex
" in athletics due to the suspension which has hit the Russian Federation since November 2015 for having put put in place an institutionalized doping system.
The working group bringing together independent experts to assess the progress made by the Russians in this area is due to submit its report in March, which will be submitted to the World Athletics Council.