The Russian Athletics Federation was reinstated by World Athletics yesterday, but a ban on its athletes due to the war in Ukraine remains in place ©Getty Images

The chair of Russia's State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports Dmitry Svishchev has congratulated the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) on its reinstatement, but insisted "there is no need to relax" because of an ongoing ban on its athletes due to the war in Ukraine.

The World Athletics Council yesterday restored the RusAF's membership for the first time since 2015 following the state-sponsored doping scandal.

Rune Andersen, head of the Task Force charged with reinstating RusAF, said that conditions required for its reinstatement had been met and the Council accepted its recommendation, but maintained measures on the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes implemented due to the invasion of Ukraine.

World Athletics President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Sebastian Coe said this would remain the case "for the foreseeable future", even as the IOC explores a pathway for the return of athletes from both countries as neutrals.

Svishchev welcomed the reinstatement, but wants the RusAF to pursue a return for the country's athletes to competitions.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said yesterday a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes would remain in place for the
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said yesterday a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes would remain in place for the "foreseeable future" ©World Athletics

"Almost 10 years of work of the Federation ended with the restoration," he told Russian state-run news agency TASS.

"I congratulate the [RusAF] and the President of the organisation, Petr Ivanov, on this, it was a great job.

"But there is no need to relax, because the athletes still cannot compete.

"This needs to be fought."

British official Coe yesterday said the impact of the war in Ukraine, including the deaths of 185 athletes, had "only hardened my resolve on this matter".

He accused the Russian and Belarusian Governments of inflicting damage on the "integrity of our major international competitions" through the "destruction of Ukraine's sports systems".

The World Athletics Council agreed to establish a working group to advise on the conditions required for restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes at its events to be lifted.