IAAF to decide fate of Russian athletes in June ahead of Rio Olympic Games following suspension

The IAAF, Athletics' world governing body, will hear reports from its taskforce into Russia's anti-doping progress at the council meeting in Vienna on June 17.
Russia was suspended by the IAAF last November after being accused of 'state-sponsored' doping in a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko speaks at the upper chamber of the Russian parliament on Wendesday

On Wednesday, Russia announced reforms it hopes will repair the credibility of its anti-doping body and will see its athletics team compete at the Rio Olympics, which begin in Brazil on August 5.

A five-strong IAAF taskforce, headed by former World Anti-Doping Agency director Rune Andersen, is monitoring Russia's anti-doping progress, and will report back to the governing body at the 204th IAAF Council Meeting, which has now been confirmed for June 17.

Under proposals from the Russian ministry of sport, all track and field athletes intending to compete at Rio will undergo a minimum of three independent, externally administered anti-doping controls before the Olympic Games.

These controls will be carried out by the IAAF and be in addition to existing anti-doping procedures.
Two independent international experts, nominated by WADA, will be based full-time in Moscow from the end of April.

IAAF taskforce, headed by World Anti-Doping Agency director Rune Andersen, is monitoring Russia's anti-doping progress

IAAF president Lord Sebastian Coe at an ASOIF General Assembly meeting at SportAccord on Tuesday

They will have 'full and free' access for as long as necessary 'to ensure the Russian anti-doping system is free of undue interference and is fully independent,' the ministry of sport said.
At its last meeting in March, the IAAF Council ruled Russia had 'further significant work' to do before its international suspension could be lifted.

'The taskforce is having regular meetings and conference calls with the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee), the ICC (the Interim Coordination Committee which is coordinating Russia's co-operation with the taskforce) and the RusAf (the Russian Athletics Federation) and will deliver their next report to the IAAF Council when they meet in June,' the IAAF said in a statement to Press Association Sport on Wednesday.



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