ATHLETICS: World Athletics Council maintains full ban on Russia, Belarus in latest review

The World Athletics Council has reaffirmed its complete ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials, and supporting personnel from international competition, a policy originally established following the 2016 state-sponsored doping scandal covering 2011–15. The decision, first made in March 2022 and revisited in 2023, 2025, and March 2026, was confirmed again in an online Council meeting. The ban remains in place despite seven other International Federations having reinstated Russian and Belarusian athletes, with both doping violations and Russia's war against Ukraine cited as key factors.