IAAF President Sebastian Coe Says He Does Not Know Timeframe For Russia's Return

With a world championship "looming" in '17, IAAF President Sebastian Coe "is not setting a deadline for Russia's return" to int'l competition, according to the AFP. Coe enforced a ban on Russia last November "after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency report unveiled systematic state-sponsored doping in the country." Many athletes "are wondering whether Russia will be at the world championships in London next year." Coe: "I don't know what the timeframe is. But I didn't come into athletics wanting to stop athletes competing. I'm not an isolationist by nature. I know this has to be resolved. This isn't the case of saying the federation's suspended, close the book. That's not a good position for anybody to be in." Despite Coe and the IAAF's "hardline stance" on Russian athletes, the IOC decided to allow other Russians to compete at Rio "despite calls for an outright ban." But Coe reiterated that he felt the IAAF had made "a judgement we felt was very clearly in the best interests of our sport" (AFP, 8/20).