Paris: Russia have accepted the full suspension from athletics over widespread doping without requesting a hearing, the sport's world governing body IAAF has announced after a council meeting in Monaco.
Two weeks ago, the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) received the most severe punishment ever handed out by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), to be suspended from all international competitions after the revelations by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier this month, reports Xinhua.
Under the suspension, all Russian athletes and support staff will be forbidden to participate in any international events, including World Athletics Series competitions and the Olympic Games.
"The council was informed that written confirmation had been received from ARAF accepting their full suspension without requesting a hearing as was their constitutional right," the IAAF said in a statement on Thursday after its council meeting chaired by president Sebastian Coe.
"The ARAF confirmed they understood that Council would only accept their reinstatement as an IAAF Member Federation following the recommendation of the IAAF inspection team who will decide if the verification criteria have been fulfilled. The ARAF also confirmed they will cooperate fully and actively with the team," the statement added.
All council members except Russia's Mikhail Butov and African Area Association representative David Okeyo of Kenya had attended Thursday's meeting.
During the council meeting, Coe also briefed his colleagues that he has stepped down from his role as ambassador with Nike. But he will continue in the role of chairman of sports marketing agency CSM, and will step down as Chairman of the British Olympic Association at the conclusion of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.