IAAF taskforce to make Russia inspection early next year

A task force from the governing body of world athletics will make a first visit to Russia on Jan. 10-11 to check on progress towards cleaning up the doping scandal that led to Russia’s suspension from the sport last month.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has set out a series of steps that Russia must take to be reinstated before the Rio Olympics in August.

“We have established a good working relationship as the basis of our future discussions and meetings together. I look forward with my fellow members of the IAAF taskforce to visiting Moscow in three weeks’ time,” Rune Andersen, independent chairperson of the taskforce, said in a statement.

The suspension followed a report by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency that exposed widespread, systematic state-sponsored doping and related corruption.