Russian athletics officials suspended over anti-doping violations

The president of Russian athletics and senior officials have been suspended for "serious breaches" of anti-doping rules, putting Russian track and field athletes' participation at next year's Tokyo Olympics in further danger.

The suspensions came after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Thursday accused the Russian athletics federation (RUSAF) of obstructing an investigation into high-jumper Danil Lysenko, a silver medallist at the 2017 World Championships in London.

RUSAF president Dmitry Shlyakhtin and the federation's executive director Alexander Parkin have been provisionally suspended. Lysenko and his coach have also been suspended.

Russia has been banned from competing as a country in athletics since 2015, after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of widespread doping in the sport.

Some Russian athletes, including Lysenko, have been allowed to compete under a neutral flag. Last year Lysenko had that status removed by athletics world governing body IAAF after he failed to provide the whereabouts information he is required to give to submit to doping tests.

AIU said Thursday a 15-month investigation had found that Shlyakhtin and Parkin had been involved in the "provision of false explanations and forged documents to the AIU in order to explain whereabouts failures by the athlete".

The AIU had already said Lysenko was guilty of three "no-shows" in 12 months.

Any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within a 12-month period is considered a violation of anti-doping rules.

The AIU has given the accused until December 12 to respond to the accusations. Shlyakhtin said senior RUSAF officials would meet to discuss their response to the case and who would take over as interim president while he was suspended.

- Positive tests -
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