MONACO – IAAF President Sebastian Coe hopes to lift Russia’s suspension from international competition before the World Championships next summer but reiterates there isn’t a set time frame in regards to their reinstatement, informs PA.
“It has to be our ambition not to leave a country sitting outside the athletics family, but it has to be when change is really demonstrable and we are confident that the reintroduction of Russian athletes will be into a landscape that is clean and with integrity,” the IAAF boss said.
“I haven’t put a time frame on that. We didn’t put a time frame on it when we set up the independent commission, and the commission reported back that although some progress had been made there wasn’t enough to satisfy the criteria that had been set,” continued Coe.
“I’m hoping – I’m genuinely hoping – that they will be back for the World Championships next year, but that will depend on how things change,” he said.
