Moscow will challenge World Athletics (WA) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over its decision to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes barred from international competition despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently clearing the way for their return.

The WA’s stance is “a complete contradiction” of the principle that sport should remain separate from politics, Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF) Chief Executive Director Boris Yaryshevskiy said at a press conference on Thursday. The governing body reaffirmed the ban earlier this month.

According to Yaryshevskiy, WA has said Russian athletes will only be readmitted after a peace agreement is reached in Ukraine. That position, he argued, conflicts with the IOC’s updated rules, which state that athletes should be allowed to compete regardless of political, social or other external pressures.

From our point of view, this is a complete contradiction. 

The RUSAF announced on July 9 that it had filed a CAS appeal against what it described as WA’s “discriminatory” extension of the ban.

Italian athlete Federico Barucco argued the decision ultimately harms the sport itself.

“The choice to only ban Russia is harmful not only to the Russian people, but also to the sport itself,” he told RT on Thursday. “People who go to watch the event will see a competition where the athletes won't perform at their best because they won't have opponents as strong as their Russian counterparts.”

Several international federations have retained the restrictions imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Others, however, have begun reversing course. World Aquatics, World Gymnastics and the International Fencing Federation have restored Russian participation under the country’s flag and anthem.

Russia has previously challenged the sports bans in court. It appealed to CAS after the International Ski and Snowboard Federation refused to lift restrictions on Russian para-athletes despite the International Paralympic Committee reinstating them in 2025. The legal challenge ultimately cleared the way for Russians to compete at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, where they won eight gold medals.