Russian doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova has become the first athlete to be granted permission to compete at the Rio Olympics under a neutral flag after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled in the Russian's favour.
The IAAF voted last month to maintain a global competition ban on the All-Russia Athletic Federation, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided only athletes who are individually cleared to compete by their respective international federations could go to Rio.
As part of the process, applicants have to email the IAAF’s general secretary, in English, and provide documentary evidence to prove they have clean anti-doping records that can be verified by credible agencies.
Stepanova, the 29-year-old 800m runner, is the first athlete to pass the “exceptional eligibility” guidelines outlined by the IAAF’s Doping Review Board and will therefore be eligible to compete at this summer’s Games.
Stepanova turned whistleblower after receiving a ban for abnormalities with her biological passport. She subsequently moved to Germany and then North America with her husband and fellow whistleblower Vitaly, a former official in the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.
The Stepanovas colluded with German journalist Hajo Seppolt in secretly taping athletes and coaches discussing doping in Russian athletics. The information they gathered formed the basis for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission investigation which found evidence of a systemic and state-sponsored programme and that led to a Russian ban being imposed by the IAAF.
A statement from the IAAF read: “The IAAF Doping Review Board has today decided its first case of an athlete seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in International Competition as a neutral athlete under Competition Rule 22.1A.
“The Doping Review Board, which is composed of Robert Hersh (chair), Sylvia Barlag and Antti Pihlakoski, has unanimously accepted the application of Yuliya Stepanova under Competition Rule 22.1A(c) as someone having made a truly exceptional contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play and the integrity and authenticity of the sport.
“Ms Stepanova is now eligible to compete in International Competitions as an independent neutral athlete. Ms Stepanova’s participation as a neutral athlete in International Competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition.”
Individuals seeking to compete as a ‘neutral athlete’ have to get their evidence to the IAAF two weeks before the qualification deadline of the competition they want to enter — for Rio 2016 that is July 18th.
The IAAF has confirmed they have received more than 80 applications from Russian athletes seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in an individual capacity and says they will be reviewed.
The statement added: “The form of these further applications is being checked against the Guidelines issued by the IAAF last week and, if they are in the correct form, they too will be referred to the Doping Review Board for a decision on exceptional eligibility.”
European Athletics has been informed of Stepanova’s eligibility and the IAAF confirmed “other international events organisers will receive similar notification of Ms Stepanova’s eligibility later today”.
