The IAAF Doping Review Board has cleared 18 Russian athletes to compete internationally as neutral athletes in 2018
While the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended, the governing body says the applications of those approved met its “exceptional eligibility criteria”.
Among them are double world champion Mariya Lasitskene and Anzhelika Sidorova, who won the 2014 European title in the pole vault.
In December, the IAAF issued an application process for previous Authorised Neutral Athletes to reapply for eligibility, having already approved long jumper and world silver medallist Darya Klishina.
The federation says it received just over 80 applications from Russian athletes and at this stage prioritised athletes wishing to compete in IAAF World Indoor Tour meetings and at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Commenting on twitter, Lasitskene suggested that time is of the essence if she is to get her paperwork in time for the event in March.
Hope to get my GB visa in time üòÇ
Need help of @ukinrussia https://t.co/8eXGPW7LJY
— Maria Lasitskene (@MariaKuchina) January 25, 2018
The Doping Review Board has accepted the applications of the following athletes:
Viktor Butenko (discus)
Danila Danilov (hammer throw)
Alexsey Fedorov (triple jump)
Irina Gumenyuk (triple jump)
Vyacheslav Kolesnichenko (sprints)
Mariya Lasitskene (high jump)
Aleksandr Lesnoy (shot put)
Alyona Lutkovskaya (pole vault)
Danil Lysenko (high jump)
Alaina Mamina (sprints)
Yuliya Maltseva (discus)
Polina Miller (sprints)
Ilya Mudrov (pole vault)
Olga Mullina (pole vault)
Sofiya Palkina (hammer throw)
Viktoriya Prokopenko (triple jump)
Anzhelika Sidorova (pole vault)
Aleksei Sokyrskii (hammer throw)
All 18 athletes were afforded ANA status in 2017.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe said: “Throughout this process, we have continued to support the aspirations of all clean athletes to participate in our major competitions. With access to new information from WADA at the end of last year the Doping Review Board is assessing all applications against this information as well as existing information. It is a complex and lengthy process and once again, I wish to thank the Doping Review Board and the Athletics Integrity Unit for their dedication and diligence to the task at hand.”
The participation of all these 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.
