Russia needs to prove its commitment to anti-doping according to ‘robust’ verification criteria if its track and field athletes are to return to the competitions, world athletics (IAAF) chief Sebastian Coe said yesterday, meaning it could miss the world indoor championships next year.

Coe said the Russians must prove they are committed to change based on a set of verification criteria that will be finalised between the IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

He said a first report by the IAAF inspection team would come on March 27, 2016 at the IAAF’s Council meeting in Wales.

With Russia banned until the first inspection report, it would mean Russian athletes would not be eligible to compete at the world indoor championships in the US, starting on March 17.

“The verification criteria must be robust, otherwise the inspection process will fail. Repeating past failings which have brought ARAF to their current position is not an option,” Coe said.

WADA suspended Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA as part of a crackdown on drug cheating in Russia which has already been banned from international athletics after a report by a WADA special commission which exposed widespread state-sponsored doping.

The report detailed cover-ups, bribes to conceal positive tests, destruction of samples, and evidence of state security services colluding with the athletics federation to facilitate doping.

Five principles

Coe said a set of five principles would help define the verification criteria with which an IAAF inspection team will start work no later than Jan. 1, 2016.

The Briton said Russia needed to take immediate corrective and disciplinary measures against those athletes involved in doping while also establishing an operational anti-doping framework.

Russia also needed to establish a robust anti-doping programme, ensure anti-doping code compliance and undergo reforms that will help deter athletes from doping.

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