Oregon World Athletics Championships 2022: Why are Russia and Belarus not competing?

Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be taking part in World Athletics Championships 2022 to be held in Oregon from July 15 to 24, as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The World Athletics Council announced in March that all athletes, support personnel, and officials from Russia and Belarus would be barred from all World Athletics Series events “for the foreseeable future.”

Russia: Suspended since 2015

Before the invasion, the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) had already been suspended since 2015 because of issues with rampant doping among athletes. Because of this sanction, the RusAF is not allowed to host World Athletics events of send teams to international competitions.

Russia had only been allowed to compete under the Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) flag, while the suspension was in effect.

Because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the athletes can no longer compete even under this banner. World Athletics had already banned Russian and Belarusian competitors from taking part in the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia earlier this year.

The Wanda Diamond League for its part banned these athletes from its meetings outright.

The World Athletics ban will prohibit some athletes from defending their titles which they won in Doha in 2019, including high jumper Mariya Lasitskene and pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova.