The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) inspection team monitoring Russia’s anti-doping reforms will report back in late March, meaning the national track team is set to miss the world indoor championships in the US.
The March 17-20 championships in Portland, Oregon, are the first major competition that Russia would miss under its provisional suspension from the IAAF.
The indefinite ban was imposed last week after Russia was accused by an independent World-Anti-Doping Agency commission of running a state-sponsored doping program.
Russian officials had said they hoped to return to competition in less than three months.
However, the IAAF on Thursday said it has asked its five-person inspection team to begin its verification work no later than Jan. 1 and report back “at the earliest” on March 27 — a week after the Portland championships end.
The panel will assess the reforms to clean up the Russian athletics federation, known as ARAF.
“For the protection of all clean athletes, there cannot be any timeframe for ARAF’s return until we are assured all criteria have been fully met and will continue to be met forever,” IAAF president Sebastian Coe said in the IAAF statement.
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