Athletics-Russia to miss world championships after IAAF ban extended

Russia will miss the world athletics championships for the second time in a row after the sport's governing body the IAAF extended its ban against the country's federation on Monday. The IAAF confirmed the decision four days before the start of the competition in Doha after hearing a report from its task force overseeing Russia's reinstatement efforts.

Some Russians with no doping history have been cleared to compete internationally as neutrals. Russia's athletics federation (RUSAF) was suspended in November 2015 after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of widespread doping in the sport.

Russian authorities have denied the existence of a state-sponsored doping program in the country but have accepted that some senior officials were involved in providing banned substances to athletes, interfering with anti-doping procedures and covering up positive tests.

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