MONACO (AP) – The IAAF has issued guidelines for any Russian track and field athletes seeking “exceptional” dispensation to compete in the upcoming Olympics, insisting again that they would do so as neutral athletes and not under their national flag.
Track and field’s governing body has been at odds with the International Olympic Committee, which says any Russian athletes approved by the IAAF would compete under their national flag.
The guidelines issued Wednesday cover “any individual athletes who can clearly and convincingly show that they are not tainted by the Russian system because they have been outside the country and subject to other effective anti-doping systems.”
The IAAF says they could apply to compete “not for Russia, but as a neutral athlete.”
The release of the guidelines poses a further challenge to the IOC, which said Tuesday that the IAAF has no say on which flags athletes compete under at the Olympics.