The VFLA has received a fine of ten million US dollars for anti-doping violations. The court, paying half the fine, will only have to pay the remaining five million dollars if the rules are repeated within two years.
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On Wednesday, the president of the VFLA Yevgeny Yurchenko explained in a conversation with the local news agency TASS that no funds have been found for the payment. The stability of the organization has been severely shaken by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Meanwhile, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Maticin explained to local media that the ministry had received a request from the VFLA for the possibility to extend the payment deadline. The ministry has sent a similar call to World Athletics, urging the international organization not to impose additional sanctions for late payment.
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As early as March, World Athletics announced that it would cancel the “neutral athletes” option if Russia did not pay the penalty by July 1.
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World Athletics also previously decided that only ten Russian athletes will be able to start under the neutral flag at the Tokyo Olympics.
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World Athletics disqualified the VFLA in 2015 for systematic doping violations and has extended the penalty several times.
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