Boris Yaryshevskiy, chief executive of the Russian Athletics Federation.
The Russian Athletics Federation has launched a fresh legal challenge against World Athletics sanctions, taking its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an attempt to overturn restrictions that continue to exclude Russian athletes and officials from international athletics.
The federation’s latest appeal challenges the continuing measures imposed by World Athletics following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian Athletics argues that the sanctions have gone beyond their intended purpose and are harming the development of the sport in the country.
Boris Yaryshevskiy, chief executive director of Russian Athletics, said the restrictions were unusually severe.
The sanctions against Russian Athletics are unprecedented.”Yaryshevskiy said
Yaryshevskiy also added that the measures were affecting not only the federation’s ability to operate but also the development of athletics in Russia, including opportunities for younger athletes.
The latest CAS action represents another chapter in the long-running dispute between Russian sporting authorities and international governing bodies over Russia’s participation in global sport.
World Athletics has maintained its position that the sanctions should remain in place.
The governing body has said it will defend its position before CAS.
The organization said it would be “strenuously defending our position” in response to the latest Russian challenge.
The dispute dates back to the international sporting response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, different international sports federations have adopted varying policies toward Russian and Belarusian athletes, with some allowing participation under neutral status while others have maintained broader restrictions.
World Athletics has taken one of the tougher positions, keeping Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials subject to significant restrictions.
For Russia, the CAS challenge is an attempt to reopen the door to international athletics.
For World Athletics, the proceedings provide another opportunity to defend a policy that has remained in place for several years.
The eventual CAS decision could therefore have implications beyond Russian athletics.
A successful challenge could encourage further legal action against sanctions in other sports, while a decision in favour of World Athletics would strengthen the governing body’s position in maintaining restrictions connected to the war.
The case leaves Russian athletes once again waiting for a legal ruling that could determine how and when they may return to the international athletics arena.
