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MONTE CARLO, Monaco, Nov. 26-- The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council has decided to maintain their suspension of Russia from international competition before all verification criteria are fully met during the two-day 212th meeting that concluded here on Sunday. "Since the IAAF Congress in August, the IAAF Taskforce has been in constant communication with RusAF (Russian Athletics Federation) and its President Dmitri Shlyakhtin. Shlyakhtin has impressed us with his professionalism, and his pursuing to change the old doping culture in Russian track and field," Rune Andersen, independent Chair of the IAAF Russian Taskforce, said at Sunday's press conference. In April 2017, the IAAF Council approved a roadmap proposed by the taskforce that identified six specific conditions to be met in order for the Taskforce to be able to recommend RusAF's reinstatement. "Some of the milestones on the Roadmap to RusAF's reinstatement have been met, at least in part. However, several key milestones remain outstanding," said Andersen. The IAAF Council suspended RusAF from membership in November 2017, after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission concluded there was a culture of systematic doping in Russian athletics, ruling out Russian athletes' chances of competing at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and the World Championships in London this year. According to the taskforce, of the five remaining conditions in the roadmap, acknowledgement of McLaren findings and reinstatement of RUSADA have not been met. | 
