RUSSIA TASKFORCE REPORT TO COUNCIL MEETING OF 14 JULY 2022
I am pleased to provide the following update to Council on behalf of the Russia Taskforce:
1.

As you know, in November 2021, the 53rd World Athletics Congress resolved thatthe suspension of RusAF’s membership of World Athletics should continue until
Council decides that all of the conditions set by Council from time to time for thereinstatement of RusAF’s membership have been met.

2.

Since its last update to Council on 10 March 2022, the Taskforce and theinternational experts have continued their respective work, and RusAF has madeprogress to meet the milestones and KPIs set out in the Reinstatement Planapproved by Council in March 2021. The ongoing situation in the Ukraine
continues to cast a shadow over the process. Despite the appalling invasion andadverse circumstances, the work of the Taskforce has been maintained. TheTaskforce has been in regular communication with RusAF Acting President Irina
Privalova and her colleagues to assess that work. The Taskforce has also received
weekly reports from the international experts. RusAF has provided formal
written reports on the progress made against the Reinstatement Plan, and theinternational experts have provided their feedback on those reports. TheTaskforce has also convened periodic calls with the international experts todiscuss those reports and to address any issues as they arise.

3.

This past month, the independent experts undertook a detailed assessment ofRusAF’s progress against the Strategic Plan, the Operational Roadmap, and theKPIs. That assessment considered (1) RusAF’s position when the independent
experts commenced work, (2) RusAF’s position now, and (3) RusAF’s likely
position in three to four months’ time.

4.

Based on these reports, assessment, and feedback, the view of the Taskforce
remains one of guarded optimism. RusAF has substantively implemented almost
all of the requirements of the Strategic Plan and the Operational Roadmap and has
made steady progress to demonstrate its effectiveness as a national federation
based on the identified pillars of change. One requirement that has not yet been
met is the requirement that the Athletes’ Commission member of the Presidium
be provided with voting rights. However, the Taskforce understands that themember participates fully in Presidium matters and the necessary change to theRusAF charter will be made at the earliest possible time.

5.

A key aspect of RusAF’s reform has been the effective and proper functioning ofthe Presidium, which has – for the most part – functioned correctly andappropriately with support from the RusAF leadership. Processes and procedures
are in place to govern both the effective and proper functioning of Presidium
matters, and members’ conduct generally. An effective Presidium is vital tomitigating against any risk of backsliding.

6.

Another key aspect of RusAF’s reform has been cultural change in Russian
athletics. Since cultural change is a generational task – especially in a country aslarge and diverse as Russia – the Taskforce acknowledges that it is not (and willnot be) possible to identify a specific event or moment in time at which culturalchange is or was ‘completed’. However, the building blocks of cultural change
have been embraced and implemented and are becoming embedded by RusAF(and within RusAF itself) and, to varying degrees, by the regions. For example,within RusAF, the independent disciplinary committee operates effectively, the1board of trustees provides checks and balances and oversight, and there areindicators that demonstrate community coaching demographics are shifting awayfrom those educated in the ‘old system’. Beyond the organisation itself, RusAF hasestablished regional councils to facilitate representation and participation,
provided ethics and anti-doping training to the regions, and established a regional
federation ratings system based on criteria related to cultural change, thereby
creating healthy competition between the regions in implementing sustainable
RusAF-led change.
7.

If/when RusAF is reinstated to World Athletics membership, continued culturalchange will be a very important matter for post-reinstatement monitoring andcompliance. At this stage, the building blocks for cultural change have been put inplace, and indicators of cultural change are emerging, but deeply rooted,
sustained, and widespread cultural change will likely take many years (andregions and stakeholders will inevitably proceed at different paces and withdifferent degrees of support for and resistance to change).

8.

Assuming that all the progress made to date continues, and assuming there are nofurther attempts to, or events that, destabilise RusAF and/or the reinstatement
process, the Taskforce considers that RusAF will be ready to receive an
independent audit of its processes and progress in approximately mid to late
October 2022. If that audit is considered successful (and there are no other issues
arising or outstanding), the Taskforce may consider a potential timeline forreinstatement.

9.

This athletics season (April to August) RusAF has organised a series of domestic
competitions for its elite level athletes, which will culminate in a set of finals. Prizemoney is offered and the competitions are televised. Ordinarily, such activity
would not be a noteworthy item for the Taskforce’s report; however, suchinitiative would not have been possible without the structure and focus theReinstatement Plan has provided and the progress made by RusAF against it.

10.

Regarding RUSADA, the Taskforce understands that recent changes at seniorleadership level within RUSADA has meant testing and investigations arebeginning to return to the previous levels, which is a positive step.

11.

In the Taskforce’s March update, it was reported that the AIU continued to havedifficulties in obtaining certain important anti-doping test data from the Moscow
Laboratory. This referred to a reinstatement condition set by Council in June
2019. The AIU has now reported to the Taskforce that its enquiries to obtain thedata (or identify what happened to it) have been unsuccessful. Therefore, theinvestigation has been closed, for now. Accordingly, the relevant reinstatement
condition remains unmet. The Taskforce will assess the significance andimplications of this when it considers any potential timeline for reinstatement andany conditions related to or arising from the current non-availability of theMoscow Laboratory data.

12.

In recent months, RusAF has reimbursed World Athletics on a timely basis for allof the reinstatement costs incurred in 2021. In April 2022, RusAF was invoiced
USD$ 283,971.75 for the reinstatement costs incurred by World Athletics in thequarter ending 31 March 2022, and RusAF paid that invoice in full. Last week,RusAF was invoiced USD$ 294,370.83 for the reinstatement costs incurred byWorld Athletics in the quarter ending 30 June 2022, and payment of that invoice
is expected shortly.
213.

Following Council’s decision in March 2022, the Doping Review Board has been
liaising with RusAF regarding any Authorised Neutral Athlete (‘ANA’) applications
that were in progress at that moment in time, and has met to consider anyapplications that RusAF and the relevant athletes wished to continue. In view ofthe severe and worsening consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on thepeople of Ukraine and the global economy, the Taskforce considers it appropriateto suggest to the Council to separately consider pausing until further notice theANA process for Russian athletes. If the Council were to take such a decision, noRussian athlete who would normally require ANA status in order to compete
outside Russia would be eligible to do so until such time as Council reconsiders its
decision.

14.

As explained in my last update to Council, the Taskforce has worked with RusAF
and with the AIU to develop detailed Post-Reinstatement Conditions that wouldapply after the reinstatement of RusAF. Those Post-Reinstatement Conditions will
be monitored and enforced by the AIU. They are designed to give Council and themember federations of World Athletics comfort that progress towards a genuinechange in culture will continue in Russia after reinstatement of RusAF, and that
there will be no backsliding. While I suggested in my update in March 2022 that
the Taskforce would present the Post-Reinstatement Conditions to Council for its
approval at this meeting, given the level of detail they contain the Taskforce
wishes to present them to Council in a briefing before consideration (if necessary,amendment) and approval. It is logical that this briefing occurs after theindependent audit of RusAF‘s processes and progress I referred to earlier in myreport. However, I must stress that presenting the Post-Reinstatement Conditions
to Council will not be a proposal to reinstate RusAF at that time. Any
consideration of reinstatement is subject to further discussion.

15.

The Taskforce recommends that Council resolve as follows:
1. The Taskforce continues its oversight and monitoring of RusAF’s
implementation of the Reinstatement Plan and KPIs, guided to the extent
possible in current circumstances by the international experts. If necessary,
the Taskforce meet with RusAF to discuss progress against the Reinstatement
Plan and KPIs.
2. The Taskforce makes arrangements for an independent audit of RusAF’s
processes and progress against the Reinstatement Plan and KPIs to beconducted mid to late October 2022.
3. The Taskforce:(i) report on its work at the next Council meeting in November 2022;(ii) present at a briefing to Council:
a. the outcome of the independent audit of RusAF‘s processes andprogress against the Reinstatement Plan and KPIs; and,b. depending on the outcome of the independent audit, the PostReinstatement Conditions for consideration; and,3

(iii) if appropriate submit the Post-Reinstatement Conditions, for approval atits next meeting in November 2022, on the basis that such consideration
and/or any approval by Council will not be a proposal to reinstate RusAF
at that time.
Rune Andersen, Taskforce Chair
14 July 2022

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