World Athletics President: No Change In Ban On Russian Athletes 'Anytime Soon'

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said he would not be changing his views "anytime soon" when it comes to welcoming Russia back into the fold. Coe made the comments on August 27 at a press conference to mark the end of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. All Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from track and field competition since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. That includes the option of competing as a neutral, making World Athletics among the most stringent of opponents to their return.