IAAF approves the application of a further eight Russians to compete internationally as neutral athletes

Monaco, July 20, 2017: The IAAF Doping Review Board has agreed that the applications of eight Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes under competition Rule 22.1A(b) while the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended.

The Doping Review Board, which is composed of Robert Hersh (chair), Sylvia Barlag and Antti Pihlakoski, has accepted the applications of the following athletes:

First name, family name (discipline) – in alphabetical order
Ilia Ivaniuk (high jump)
Sergej Litvinov (hammer)
Alena Lutkovskaia (pole vault)
Danil Lysenko (high jump)
Sofia Palkina (hammer)
Valery Pronkin (hammer)
Vladislav Saraykin (race walk)
Ekaterina Sokolenko (3000m steeplechase)

The participation of all these athletes as neutral athletes in international competition is still subject to formalities for eligibility under IAAF Rules being completed and subject to acceptance of their entries by individual meeting organisers.

A total of 61 cases were reviewed by the Doping Review Board on this occasion. As well as the eight applications accepted, 53 were declined.

In total this year, 47 applications have been approved, of which nine were specifically for the World U18 Championships and two were specifically for the European U20 Championships. A total of 109 applications have been declined.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe commented: “From the beginning we have declared this process was about supporting the hopes and aspirations of all clean athletes including Russian athletes who have been failed by their national system.

I wish to thank the Doping Review Board for their diligent work assessing these applications.”

Since publication of updated guidelines under Rule 22.1A(b) earlier this year, the IAAF has received over 150 applications from Russian athletes, more than 50 of which have been endorsed by their national federation RusAF.

This being an ongoing process, the IAAF will only make announcements as and when decisions are made by the Doping Review Board concerning successful applications and those athletes have been duly informed.

Please note:
A total of 41 Russian athletes (39 in 2017 and two in 2016) have previously been declared eligible under Rule 22.1A to compete as neutral athletes and they remain eligible to compete in international competition subject to acceptance by individual meeting organisers:

Date of announcement and athlete/event
9 July 2017: Viktor Butenko (discus), Timofey Chalyy (400m hurdles), Danil Danilov (hammer), Olga Eliseeva (race walks – European U20 Championships only), Alexey Fedorov (triple jump), Irina Gemeniuk (triple jump), Irina Gordeeva (high jump), Viacheslav Kolesnichenko (sprints), Alexsandr Lesnoi (shot put), Konstantin Lyadusov (shot put), Iuliia Maltseva (discus), Alena Mamina (sprints), Alexsandr Menkov (long jump), Viktoriia Prokopenko (triple jump), Ilya Shkurenev (decathlon) and Valentin Smirnov (middle distance);

3 July 2017: Klavdiia Afanaseva (race walk);
29 June 2017: Nine athletes eligible for IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017: Aksana Gatauliina (pole vault), Ekaterina Gorshenina (race walk), Salavat Ilkaev (race walk), Elvira Khasanova (race walk), Sergey Kozhevnikov (race walk), Polina Miller (sprints), Varvara Nasilbulina (sprints), Danila Tudyakov (middle distance), Valentina Ulianova (high jump);

30 May 2017: Kseniya Aksyonova (400m), Vera Rebrik (javelin), Vera Rudakova (400m hurdles);

11 April 2017: Maria Kuchina (high jump), Illia Mudrov (pole vault), Olga Mullina (pole vault), Sergey Shirobokov (race walks), Sergey Shubenkov (sprint hurdles), Yana Smerdova (race walks), Daniil Tsyplakov (high jump);

23 February 2017: Anzhelika Sidorova (pole vault), Kristina Sivkova (sprints), Aleksei Sokirskii (hammer);

9 July 2016: Darya Klishina (long jump);

1 July 2016: Yuliya Stepanova (800m/1500m). —- IAAF