Russian atlhletes must prove innocence of doping to take part in internatioinal events

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has issued guidelines insisting that Russian athletes must prove they have never been implicated in a suspected state-sponsored doping system. The organisation also said that international doping investigators sent them a list of 200 Russian athletes who will be checked if they apply for competitions this year.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe AFP/Karim Jaafar

The IAAF said it has been given the 200 names by investigators working for Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, who has alleged there was a "state-sponsored" doping system in Russia.

As the list of names emerged, IAAF president Sebastian Coe decried a system which he said had "let down" Russian athletes.

Russia has been suspended from international competition since 2015 after massive use of doping among athletes was discovered.

The IAAF said on Tuesday that it had sent new criteria to the Russian federation for athletes to take part in international competition as neutrals.

The measure aims to punish the host country but give individual athletes a chance to take part in the competition.

Russians may have to be neutrals

Taking part as neutrals may be the only way for Russians to take part in the world athletics championships in London in August.

"One of the criteria requires athletes to show they are not directly implicated in any way (knowingly or unknowingly) by their national federation's failure to put in place adequate systems to protect and promote clean athletes," said an IAAF statement.

The IAAF said applications would be reviewed by its Doping Review Board, who will decide whether applicants will be granted neutral athlete status.

Last month, the IAAF decided to extend Russia's ban, which was first announced in November 2015, meaning the country will miss March's European Indoors in Belgrade, Serbia.

Since then the second part of a report by McLaren has been published.

More than 1,000 Russians across 30 sports benefited from a state-sponsored doping program between 2011 and 2015, it says.