IAAF Vote Means Russia Likely To Miss Track and Field World Championships

BREAKING: IAAF vote to continue suspension of Russia from all international competition. — Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ)February 6, 2017

Following Monday's vote by the International Association of Athletics Federation, Russia is likely to miss the Track and Field World Championships this summer. The vote extended the blanket ban on Russian athletes competing in international competition to November, 2017. The ban has been in place since early August, 2016. A task force appointed by the IAAF determined that Russia had not yet met the conditions for reinstatement. Russia is still not yet fully recertified by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

As the New York Times points out, this doesn't mean the World Championships won't feature any Russian athletes: "individual Russian athletes with robust histories of drug testing may petition to compete as neutral athletes, unassociated with any country, in the world championships, which will take place in August in London, as well as other global events."

Athletes under 15 are also exempt from the ban.

The ban's extension is a clap back on Russia's continued inability to own the cheating that was carried out by the sports ministry—with government help. At a press conference in December, Vladimir Putin denied any doping conspiracy had taken place.

"In general, I wouldn't pinpoint any specific person that needs to say apologies," Rune Andersen, the Chair of the IAAF's Russian Inspection Team, said yesterday, as quoted by the Times. "But we expect that the Russian community is acknowledging that they have a problem, because only when you acknowledge you have a problem can you do something about it."

[H/T New York Times]