Russian Athletes Call for Ban to Be Lifted

In an open letter addressed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Russian athletes are calling for the lifting of the ban on their participation in international events.

They argue that the ban, in effect since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is destroying an entire generation of athletes and constitutes collective punishment. They point out that most other sports federations, and the IOC itself, have already eased sanctions and are allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete under a neutral flag.

World Athletics, however, is not changing its uncompromising stance. Federation President Sebastian Coe emphasized in Budapest that the decision is not about politics but about the integrity of competition.

Although Russian Athletics and the athletes themselves have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the federation plans to defend its ban. In a statement, the athletes warn that while legal and institutional processes take years, an athlete's peak career is limited in time.

(Reuters, max)