World Athletics approves the application of 23 Russians to compete internationally as neutral athletes

The World Athletics Doping Review Board has agreed that the applications of 23 Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes in 2021 under Eligibility Rule 3.2 while the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended.

These 23 athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria for 2021:

Mikhail Akimenko (high jump)

Semen Borodayev (shot put, discus)

Timofey Chalyy (400m hurdles, 400m)

Kirill Frolov (race walking)

Darya Golubechkova (race walking)

Dmitriy Gramachkov (race walking)

Irina Ivanova (pole vault)

Yuliya Khalilova (race walking)

Elvira Khasanova (race walking)

Kseniya Labygina (100m hurdles)

Denis Lukyanov (hammer)

Alyona Lutkovskaya (pole vault)

Vasiliy Mizinov (race walking)

Olga Onufriyenko (800m)

Maksim Pyanzin (race walking)

Sergey Polyanskiy (long jump)

Artem Primak (long jump)

Mariya Privalova (triple jump)

Valeriy Pronkin (hammer)

Yelena Sokolova (long jump)

Sardana Trofimova (marathon)

Anna Tropina (3000m steeplechase, 1500m, 5000m)

Yuliya Turova (race walking)

A total of 27 Russian athletes have so far been declared eligible to compete as authorised neutral athletes in 2021. Two applications have so far been rejected.

The World Athletics Council approved the reinstatement of the authorised neutral athlete (ANA) programme for clean athletes from Russia in March 2021, following the approval of the RusAF Reinstatement Plan.

There is no cap on the number of Russian athletes who may compete at international competitions in 2021 (outside of the Olympic Games and other championships), provided they have ANA status.

However, the Council agreed that for the remainder of 2021, no more than 10 Russian athletes will be granted eligibility to compete as authorised neutral athletes at any championship competition, including the Tokyo Olympic Games, World Athletics Series events and the 2021 European U23 Championships.

RusAF may choose which 10 athletes are able to compete from those who have been granted ANA status, but it must prioritise the selection of athletes who are in the International Registered Testing Pool.

The participation of all athletes granted ANA status is still subject to formalities under World Athletics Rules being completed and to acceptance of their entries by individual meeting organisers.

As this is an ongoing process, World Athletics will only make announcements as and when decisions are made by the Doping Review Board concerning successful applications and those athletes have been informed.

2021 authorised neutral athletes

30 April: Ilya Ivanyuk (high jump), Aksana Gataullina (pole vault), Mariya Lasitskene (high jump), Anzhelika Sidorova (pole vault).

World Athletics

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