IAAF allows Russia's Ivonina to compete at worlds

Published Sep. 13, 2019 10:48 a.m. ET

MONACO (AP) — The IAAF has allowed Russian runner Yekaterina Ivonina to compete as a neutral athlete in time for the world championships this month.

An IAAF vetting panel which examines Russian athletes' drug-testing records says she was given an exemption from Russia's ban on competing internationally.

Ivonina races over various distances but has met the world championship qualifying standard only in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Russia's team has been barred from international events since 2015 because of widespread doping, but 131 competitors have been allowed to participate as neutral athletes, including Ivonina.

The worlds start in Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 27.