Russian sport has been working to regain its foothold in international sport for over a decade, first after a major doping scandal and now amid sanctions linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the doping-related restrictions on the RAF have been addressed, World Athletics continues to exclude Russian athletes, with the ban reaffirmed in July 2026. Now, as Russia takes its case to the CAS, a senior Russian athletics official has accused World Athletics President Sebastian Coe of letting personal feelings stand in the way of Russia’s return.

The latest accusation came from Russian Athletics Executive Director Boris Yaryshevsky in a Tass interview published on September 4. Referring to Coe and World Athletics’ position on the Russian cases, Yaryshevsky said, “We’re forced to spend another year interacting with the current president, who, as I already said, has a personal agenda. And I don’t think this personal agenda should come between sport, athletic achievements, and our Russian athletes.”

The comments came after Russian Athletics launched two separate legal challenges at CAS against World Athletics. The first case was filed on July 9, 2026, after the World Athletics Council voted on July 3 to continue excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials, and support personnel from international competition. The decision was contested by Russian Athletics, which was asking for its athletes to be allowed back into international competition.

The second case was filed on August 10, 2026, and concerned the sanctions against the Russian Athletics Federation directly. The federation pointed out that the restrictions have hindered its ability to effectively represent Russian sport on the international stage and have also reduced its involvement in World Athletics events, decision-making, coaching conferences and seminars, as well as professional development programmes.

Boris Yaryshevsky described the sanctions against Russian Athletics as “unprecedented”, saying they not only affect the federation’s normal work but also hold back the development of athletics in Russia, particularly among young athletes.

Coe has made clear that World Athletics will defend its position at CAS. Speaking during the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on August 14, Coe said: “I will be in the Court of Arbitration defending our position.” He added, “We will continue to do what we think is in the best interest of our sport.”

Coe has also denied that the move was political or nationalistic.  “This is not about politics or passports. This is about the integrity of competition. That is the position we will be defending,” he said. However, Yaryshevsky is not in agreement with it. Yaryshevsky believes that the upcoming presidential race in World Athletics in September 2027 could be the same issue without an agreement that is legally binding.

But with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles fast approaching, the timing is particularly key.

Russian athletes eye LA28 amid continued World Athletics ban

On July 7, 2026, the International Olympic Committee removed the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee, which may pave the way for the Russian athletes to participate in the Games of the Olympiad in LA28. However, the various international federations did not automatically remove their restrictions as a result of the decision by the IOC. On July 3, World Athletics, meanwhile, reiterated its decision to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and support staff from international competitions.

For Russian athletics, that leaves the door to Los Angeles only partly open. Yaryshevsky said the goal is clear: “We want the athletes to qualify for the 2028 Olympics and compete. Next year, there will be the World Indoor Championships and a number of other competitions. We want them to go there and compete.”

While waiting for a possible return to international competition, Russian Athletics has also continued looking for ways to keep interest in the sport alive at home. Yaryshevsky said the federation is experimenting with different formats and did not rule out unusual events at the 2027 Russian Athletics Championships.

But this continued exclusion has also become a source of frustration among Russian athletes, who say the lack of international competition is affecting both motivation and performance. Speaking at the Russian Athletics Championships in July, high jumper Danil Lysenko said:

“For four years now, I have been saying that I still have hope, and until the very end I’ve believed that I will compete internationally again. And due to recent developments, for some reason it seems to me that such an opportunity may arise quite soon, possibly within the next year or year and a half.”

With the CAS cases now underway, the outcome could have major consequences for Russian athletics.