The chance of Russian given window to participate in Tokyo 2020 Olympics is tickling away by day as Russian Athletics Federation vice President, Eduard Bezuglov said that they don’t have sufficient funds to pay the fine.
To make the matter worst, the World Athletics said on Monday it had shot down a request by Russia’s athletics federation to defer a payment of a $5 million doping fine.
In March, World Athletics fined Russia’s track and field federation $10 million for breaching anti-doping rules.
The system of allowing Russian athletes to take part in competitions including the Tokyo Olympics as neutrals will be suspended if $5 million of the $10 million fine is not paid by 1 July.
On Monday, World Athletics spokeswoman Nicole Jeffery said that the governing body had received a request from Russia’s athletics federation (RUSAF) to defer the payment and it was declined.
“There would be no change to the sanctions agreed by the World Athletics Council in March,” Jeffery told AFP.
“The deadline for the payment is July 1, 2020,” she said, reiterating the governing body’s official position.
Last week several Russian athletes including star high jumper Maria Lasitskene had called on sporting authorities to pay the $5 million fine to allow them to take part in the Tokyo Olympics.
Russia has been suspended by World Athletics since 2015 over repeated doping scandals and has been fighting for readmission.
DiscernSport