Deputy PM Mutko: Russian athletes should feel free competing under neutral flag

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Russian track and field athletes should be allowed taking part in international competitions under a neutral flag, while the international membership of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) is suspended, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Thursday. "There are certain disciplines and competitions, which cannot give grounds for an athlete not to compete," Mutko, who oversees issues regarding sports, tourism and youth policies in the country, told journalists. "We proceed from the stance that all athletes received invitations for (international competitions) participation and we will not be building obstructions for them." "Moreover, we will be providing them with support regarding this issue only to make them see competing and make them competitive," Mutko said. "On top of all, the time flows by and the sport for the athletes is a source of income and we should keep this in mind." The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced last week its decision to grant the right for seven Russian track and field athletes to take part in the international competitions as neutral athletes. Among the cleared athletes are Sergey Shubenkov, the 2015 World Champion in men’s 110 meters hurdles, and Maria Kuchina, the 2015 World Champion in women’s high jump. Commenting on the decision, IAAF President Sebastian Coe stated in particular that: "For the avoidance of any doubt as we have consistently stated from the beginning of this process, all athletes given exceptional eligibility will compete as independent neutral athletes and not as a Russian team." The other five Russian athletes cleared by the IAAF last week for the participation in international events are Illia Mudrov (pole vault), Sergey Shirobokov (race walk), Daniil Tsyplakov (high jump), Olga Mullina (pole vault) and Yana Smerdova (race walk). The IAAF stated, however, that in a total of ten applications from the suspended Russian athletes had been approved while 17 more had been declined. Athletes of former Soviet republics, including Russia, participated under a neutral flag in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Spain following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. n early January, the IAAF issued criteria, which Russian track and field athletes should meet in order to file applications for participating in international competitions as neutral athletes. All applications must be submitted with the IAAF via ARAF (All-Russia Athletics Federation). In 2015, the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Independent Commission carried out an investigation in regard to the activities of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF), the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Russian sports ministry. The commission accused certain athletes and sports officials of doping abuse and involvement in other activities related to violations of international regulations on performance enhancing substances. Eventually, the IAAF decided to suspend ARAF’s membership in the global governing body of athletics and put forward a host of criteria, which the Russian ruling body of track and field sports was obliged to implement to restore its membership in the global federation. In mid-June of 2016, the IAAF Council ruled it was still too early to restore Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) membership in the international organization subsequently extending the suspension of Russian athletes from all international tournaments, including the 2016 Olympic Games in August. Later, the IAAF anti-doping agency turned down Russian field and track athletes’ individual applications, except the one filed by three-time European champion Daria Klishina. Read more