IAAF allows another 16 Russian athletes to compete in int'l competitions
MOSCOW. July 9 (Interfax) - The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) allowed another 16 Russian track and field athletes to take part in international competitions.
"The IAAF Doping Review Board has agreed that the applications of 16 Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes under competition Rule 22.1A(b)," the IAAF press service said in a statement released on Sunday.
At the same time, the Doping Review Board has extended neutral athlete status for three athletes (Oksana Gataullina (pole vault), Polina Miller (sprints), Yana Smerdova (race walks)), who have been previously approved to be able to compete at the European U20 Championships.
The names of 16 track and field athletes, who are allowed to compete as neutral athletes, are as follows: Viktor Butenko (discus), Timofey Chaly (400m hurdles), Daniil Danilov (hammer), Olga Eliseeva (race walks - European U20 Championships only), Alexei Fedorov (triple jump), Irina Gemeniuk (triple jump),
Irina Gordeeva (high jump), Vyacheslav Kolesnichenko (sprints), Alexander Lesnoi (shot put), Konstantin Lyadusov (shot put), Yulia Maltseva (discus), Alena Mamina (sprints), Alexander Menkov (long jump), Viktoria Prokopenko (triple jump), Ilya Shkurenev (decathlon) and Valentin Smirnov (middle distance).
The Russian Athletic Federation remains suspended.
In total this year the IAAF allowed 39 Russian track and field athletes to compete in international competitions with the neutral athlete status. Last year - another two, and now they also can take part in tournaments.
Some 41 Russian track and field athletes can participate in international competitions as of now.
The IAAF has received over 150 applications from Russian track and field athletes for competing in international tournaments under the neutral flag. Some 28 applications were declined; other applications are being under consideration.
