Moscow, August 11, 2026 — The Europe Today: The Russian Athletics Federation has filed a second legal challenge with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against sanctions imposed by World Athletics, intensifying Moscow’s efforts to overturn the continued exclusion of Russian athletes from international track and field competitions.
The latest filing follows World Athletics’ decision in July to maintain restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes that were originally introduced in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian federation argues that the sanctions are politically motivated and infringe upon the rights of Russian athletics officials and athletes. It has also challenged restrictions preventing Russian representatives from participating in World Athletics decision-making processes, coaching activities and professional development programmes.
Russian Athletics chief executive Boris Yaryshevskiy said the measures had created unprecedented difficulties for the development of the sport in Russia, particularly for younger athletes. The federation has engaged international sports lawyers and indicated that it intends to pursue further legal avenues if necessary.
The latest case follows an earlier appeal filed by the Russian federation in July against World Athletics’ decision to extend the suspension. World Athletics reaffirmed the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes on July 3, 2026, maintaining the sanctions more than four years after they were first imposed.
World Athletics has defended the continued restrictions, arguing that the measures remain necessary in the context of the war in Ukraine and broader concerns surrounding the integrity of international sport. Unlike some other international sports bodies that have allowed limited participation by Russian athletes under neutral status, World Athletics has maintained a particularly restrictive position.
The dispute highlights the continuing tension between sporting eligibility, international sanctions and the principle of keeping athletes separate from geopolitical conflicts. While a number of international federations have adopted varying approaches toward Russian and Belarusian participation, athletics remains one of the sports in which the restrictions have remained firmly in place.
The CAS proceedings could therefore have implications beyond Russian athletics. A ruling in favor of the Russian federation could potentially strengthen arguments for reconsidering restrictions across international sport, while a decision upholding World Athletics’ position would reinforce the governing body’s authority to maintain sanctions connected to the Ukraine conflict.
For Russian athletes, however, the immediate issue remains their continued absence from major international athletics competitions and the uncertainty surrounding their future eligibility. The second CAS filing signals that the federation intends to continue challenging the restrictions through international legal channels.
