|
 Russian athletes were banned indefinitely by the International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) after a World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report alleged widespread corruption and a
state-sponsored drugs culture in a sporting superpower.
An IAAF inspection committee is due to visit Russia in January to
oversee the country’s reform process and ensure the criteria set out
by the sport's ruling body are met.
The committee will report back to the IAAF Council at the earliest
at its meeting in Cardiff, Wales, on March 27, less than five months
before the Olympics.
“For the moment they have to fulfil the conditions, but I cannot
really see them competing in Rio," Hansen, whose body includes
Russia as a member federation, told Athletics Weekly magazine on
Tuesday.
“They must have a cultural change. They must get rid of all those
people from before."
European Athletics, which oversees the sport in Europe, works with
the IAAF world governing body on doping and medical issues.
However, the organization will have no influence on the decision to
reinstate Russia as an IAAF member, which will only be made on the
recommendation of the world ruling body's inspection team.
Norwegian Hansen believes that Russia's Athletic Federation (ARAF),
which has confirmed it will co-operate fully with the inspection
team, will work hard to change the culture.
[to top of second column] |
“We know some good people in Russian athletics and I’m sure they
will be elected. We hope that some new people will come in who
really understand that this must be changed,” he said.
Russian athletes will not be able to compete in the world indoor
championships in Oregon in March.
Russia has also lost the hosting rights to next year’s race walking
World Cup and the world junior championships which were scheduled to
take place in Cheboksary and Kazan respectively.
(Reporting by Ed Osmond; Editing by Alison Williams)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
