MOSCOW, 18 Mar. Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be allowed to compete in the Diamond League, according to the competition website. The decision was made by the Diamond League General Assembly on Thursday. The timing of the suspension of Russians and Belarusians has not been announced.» This recommendation is in line with the decisions of many sports governing bodies and the decision made by the board of the World Athletics Association (World Athletics), and reflects the practical and logistical problems that neutral athletes from Russia and athletes from Belarus, if they are invited to participate in the competition,» the message says. Earlier, on March 1, the World Athletics Council, amid the events in Ukraine, banned the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the World Athletics Series competitions, including the 2022 World Championships in Eugene (Oregon, USA), which will be held July 15-24, the World Indoor Championships, which will be held in Belgrade March 18-20. Since 2015, Russian athletes have been participating in competitions in a neutral status due to the deprivation of the All-Russian Federation of Athletics (ARAF) of a full-fledged status due to doping scandals. In September 2021, Russians Maria Lasitskene (high jump) and Anzhelika Sidorova (pole vault) became the winners of the Diamond League Final, which was held in Zurich, Switzerland.
