ARAF: “We hope that RUSADA will include our athletes in its doping test pool and that a break outside the pool will not affect their neutral status”

Anti-doping agencies are independent, we hope that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) will include Russian athletes in its pool and that the break they spend outside the doping control pool will not affect their neutrality status, said the press service of the All-Russian Federation told Athletics (VFLA).

Earlier, RUSADA’s press service told that the pool of doping tests is reviewed once a quarter and it is impossible to include an athlete in the pool of RUSADA upon request.

– Anti-doping agencies are independent and decide who and when to include in test groups. We hope that RUSADA will include our athletes in its pool and that the break the guys will have outside the test pool will not affect the neutral status, ARAF’s press service told .

Former 110m hurdles world champion Sergei Shubenkov told that his absence from the international and Russian pool of doping control officers could prevent him from obtaining neutral status to participate in international competitions