The Russian Athletics Federation has lodged a new claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge sanctions imposed by World Athletics. Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been barred from international competition under the governing body since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The federation argues the sanctions infringe on its rights and prevent it from fully representing the interests of Russian athletes on the global stage. The International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted Russia’s suspension in July, opening the door for the country to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

CAS, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the sport’s highest arbitration body and hears disputes involving athletes, federations and governing organisations. The federation claims the penalties are unprecedented, noting that other sports bodies such as World Gymnastics, World Aquatics and World Boxing have eased restrictions this year, while some Russian and Belarusian athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Games and the Winter Olympics in Milan.

With the appeal already lodged on 9 July against a World Athletics Council decision to extend the ban, the federation is preparing its next steps to restore justice and continue defending its rights.