World Athletics authorizes applications of twenty Russian athletes to compete as neutral athletes

World Athletics on Wednesday (December 1) approved twenty Russian athletes to compete as neutrals in 2022.

Earlier, Rune Andersen, the head of the World Athletics task force, stated that RusAF has made steady progress towards meeting the criteria for its reinstatement within World Athletics.

The report asserted that there has been progress but unfortunately it is still not enough to regain normalcy by attaining the green signal from the world organization.

"Based on the progress being made and conformity with the reinstatement plan, the taskforce recommended an increase in the ANA (Authorised Neutral Athletes) quota for major competition for 2022 to 20 athletes," said Rune Andersen after a meeting of World Athletics' Council.

The World Athletics Council approved the restoration of the authorized neutral athlete (ANA) program for clean athletes from Russia in March 2021. Meanwhile, the Russian National Federation (RusAF) remains suspended.

World Athletics task force head Rune Andersen gave a presentation which provided a detailed description of staying on the Russian athletes doping ban matter. The suspension will enter its seventh year following a ban imposed in November 2015, owing to revelations of state-run doping.

"RusAF has made steady progress towards meeting the conditions set for its reinstatement to membership of World Athletics. The Taskforce does feel that these changes are reflective of a new culture within RusAF, one that is generally looking to reject the doping practices of the past and to commit to competing clean moving forward," stated Rune Andersen's report.

Three Russian athletes to compete as neutral athletes:

Earlier, three Russian athletes, Stepan Kiselev (marathon), Anna Minullina (3000m), and Vladyslav Podzvezdov (800m-1500m) have cracked the eligibility criteria to compete in international competitions as neutral athletes.

World Athletics has given the green signal to the applications of the three Russian athletes under the eligibility Rule 3.2.

The World Athletics Council approved the restoration of the authorized neutral athlete (ANA) program for clean athletes from Russia in March 2021. This came into place after the RusAF Reinstatement Plan approval.

Over 150 Russian athletes have so far been stated eligible to compete as authorized neutral athletes in 2021.