Wanda Diamond League to exclude all Russian and Belarusian athletes

All Russian Authorized Neutral Athletes and Belarusian athletes are banned from future events

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Athletics - Diamond League - Rome/Florence - 2021 Pietro Mennea Golden Gala - Stadio Luigi Ridolfi, Florence, Italy - June 10, 2021 Belarus' Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova in action during the women's long jump REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
Athletics - Diamond League - Rome/Florence - 2021 Pietro Mennea Golden Gala - Stadio Luigi Ridolfi, Florence, Italy - June 10, 2021 Belarus' Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova in action during the women's long jump REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

For the “foreseeable future” all Russian Authorized Neutral Athletes (ANA) and Belarusian athletes are banned from all Wanda Diamond League events, said the track and field organization in a statement.

Earlier this month, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe announced a similar ban for Russian and Belarusian athletes, including Russian athletes who held ANA status in 2022.

Back in 2015 World Athletics had already suspended the Russian Athletics Federation and their athletes from competing under a Russian flag due to doping violations, but they could compete with ANA status.

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Athletics - Diamond League - Doha - Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar - May 28, 2021 Ilya Ivanyuk of Russia in action during the men's high jump final REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari

In their statement Wanda Diamond League organizers said, “This recommendation follows the decision by many sports governing bodies and the decision made the World Athletics Council, and reflects the practical and logistical issues meetings may face if ANAs from Russia and athletes from Belarus were to be invited to compete.”

This means pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova and Olympic high jump champion Mariya Lasitskene, ANAs who won Diamond League titles in 2021, will not be able to defend their titles.

Russian and Belarusian athletes are also excluded from the World Athletics Indoor Championships, which begin Friday in Belgrade, Serbia.

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