Russia Challenges World Athletics Ban at CAS in Bid to Restore International Competition

Russia's athletics federation has taken its battle against the country's continued exclusion from international track and field to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) , seeking to overturn a World Athletics decision that has kept Russian athletes suspended since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine .

World Athletics imposed the ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus in March 2022 , shortly after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The governing body's council reviewed the matter last week but decided to maintain the suspension, citing concerns over the integrity and fairness of international competition and the lack of significant progress toward peace negotiations.

In a statement, the Russian athletics federation argued that the decision harms the future of the sport in the country and unfairly limits athletes' opportunities to compete internationally. The federation said it would continue pursuing all available legal avenues to defend the interests of Russian athletes.

World Athletics confirmed that it had been notified of the appeal and said it would vigorously defend its position before the court. CAS also acknowledged receiving a request for arbitration, though no hearing date has been announced.

The dispute comes at a time when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has adopted a more flexible approach toward Russian participation ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics , allowing neutral athletes in certain sports and encouraging international federations to consider similar measures.

However, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the council had considered possible conditions for a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes but ultimately decided against changing the existing sanctions.

Russia's relationship with international athletics has been strained for years. The country has not competed under its own flag at a World Athletics Championships since 2015 , when its federation was suspended over a widespread doping scandal. Although that doping suspension was lifted in 2023 , the separate sanctions linked to the Ukraine conflict remain in place. As a result, no Russian athletes competed in Olympic athletics at the 2024 Paris Games , despite the IOC permitting neutral competitors in some other sports.

In a notable development elsewhere, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) announced plans to allow Russian teams and players to return to international volleyball competitions at all levels, becoming the first major Olympic team sport to move toward reinstatement following the IOC's revised guidance. The federation said decisions regarding the use of Russian national symbols would be made later in consultation with relevant sports bodies.