The Russian Minister of Sport has promised payment of overdue amounts by August 15

World Athletics says its Council has decided to expel the Russian federation (RusAF) from membership if it does not make outstanding payments of a $US5 million fine and $US1.31 million in costs before August 15.

The Council agreed to follow the recommendations of its taskforce, with independent chairperson Rune Andersen expressing his disappointment that the taskforce had seen “very little in terms of changing the culture of Russian athletics” in the past five years.

He added that the taskforce had spent “an enormous amount of time and effort trying to help RusAF reform itself and Russian athletics, for the benefit of all clean Russian athletes” but the response from RusAF had been inadequate.

The initial payment deadline had been July 1.

Andersen’s full report to Council can be downloaded here.

World Athletics said a letter sent to the sport’s global governing body by the Russian Minister of Sport, Oleg Matytsin, on Thursday (July 30) promises payment of the overdue amounts by August 15.

Currently the taskforce’s recommendation to Congress that it resolves to expel RusAf from membership of World Athletics has been suspended, but will come into effect “immediately and automatically” if any of four specified conditions, including payment in full, are not met.

The World Athletics Congress would need to approve any expulsion.

RusAF has been suspended as a World Athletics member since November 2015, although some Russian athletes have since been allowed to compete internationally as authorised neutral athletes.

Further information, including details relating to authorised neutral athletes, can be found here.