Russians face major hurdles for return to Olympic track

By EDDIE PELLS
AP Sports Writer

Russian athletes face major hurdles before they can return to the Olympics in track and field. In an interview this week, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe sketched out a two-part process for Russian reinstatement. First, long-running doping sanctions against Russia would have to be lifted. Only then would World Athletics begin debating whether to lift sanctions against Russians related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee is pushing for that outcome and put its desire into writing at its Olympic summit last week. Coe has said the best way for Russians to be reinstated would be for Russia to “get out of Ukraine.”