Russia at the World Athletics Championships explained

Iaaf:RUS
Fedname:All-Russia Athletic Federation
Games:World Championships in Athletics
Gold:47
Silver:54
Bronze:52
Rank:3
Appearances:auto
App Begin Year:1993

Russia competed at every edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics 1993 to the 2017 World Championships, from which its athletes have been banned from competing as Russian. In order for Russian nationals to compete at the World Athletics Championship (from 2017 on), they must be approved as authorised neutral athletes by the IAAF. Prior to 1993, Russian athletes competed for the Soviet Union. Russia has the second-highest medal total among nations at the competition (153), after the United States. At 47 gold medals, it holds the third-highest total after the United States and Kenya. It has had the most success in women's events and in field events. As a major nation in the sport of athletics, it typically sent a delegation numbering over 100 athletes.

It topped the medal table at the 2001 tournament, overtaking the United States following the redistribution of medals due to doping cases. Russia also initially finished top of the medal table at the 2013 Moscow Championships, but lost this position due to doping disqualifications of its athletes. Russia's performance at the competition has been strongly affected by doping. Furthermore, the country's doping problems are distinct because in Russia doping is supplied to the athletes by the government.[1] The country was banned from competing in 2017 due to the state-sponsored doping and Russians had to gain special dispensation to compete as Authorised Neutral Athletes.[2] Various members of the Russian delegation have been banned for doping at every edition of the competition it has competed at, with the exceptions of 2003 and 2015 (though Russian medalists in both those years were subsequently banned).[3]

Russia's most successful athlete at the competition is horizontal jumps specialist Tatyana Lebedeva, who between 2001 and 2009 won two triple jump gold medals, a long jump title, and two further silver medals. Women's pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva has also won three gold medals, in addition to a bronze. Yuliya Pechonkina, a 400 metres hurdles and relay athlete, has won the most medals for Russia, with her total of seven. The most successful Russian man at the World Championships is high jumper Yaroslav Rybakov, who won three high jump silvers before becoming champion in 2009.

Medal table

ChampionshipsMenWomenTotal
GoldSilverBronzeGoldSilverBronzeGoldSilverBronzeTotalRankAthletes
0 3 3 3 5 2 3 8 5 16 3
1995 Göteborg 0 1 0 1 3 7 1 4 7 12 11
0 2 2 1 2 1 1 4 3 8 9
3 1 0 2 3 3 5 4 3 12 2
1 3 3 4 4 3 5 7 6 18 1
1 2 1 6 5 4 7 7 5 19 2
1 3 2 6 4 2 7 7 4 18 2
0 1 1 4 6 2 4 7 3 14 3
1 0 1 1 0 4 2 0 5 7 10 106
1 1 1 2 0 2 3 1 3 7 6 76
1 0 2 2 2 1 3 2 3 8 6 119
1 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 4 9 62
Total 10 18 16 33 34 32 43 52 48 143 3

Medalists

AthleteGoldSilverBronzeTotalYears
3 2 0 5 2001–2009
3 0 1 4 2003–2013
2 3 2 7 2001–2007
2 1 0 3 2005–2013
2 0 0 2 2001–2005
2 0 0 2 2003–2005
1 3 0 4 2001–2009
Irina Privalova * 1 2 2 5 1993–1995
1 2 2 5 2007–2015
Maksim Tarasov * 1 2 1 4 1993–1999
  • Includes medals won competing for the Soviet Union

Doping

AthleteSexEventYear(s)ResultNotes
Women 7th
Women
Women (semis)
Men
Women 5th (heats)
Women 6th (heats)
Women
Women 4th
Women
Women
Women 6th (h)
Women 7th
Women 10th
Women
Women
Men (2009)
(2011)
Disqualified at two editions
Men (2009)
(2011)
Disqualified at two editions
Men 45th
Men 7th
Women 10th (semis)
Women 4th Russian relay team disqualified
Women 10th (h)
14th
Women (2009)
(2011)
Disqualified at two editions
Women 7th (2009)
(2011)
2009 and 2011 bronze medal-winning Russian relay teams annulled. Disqualified at two editions
Women 5th (semis)
Women 11th
Women 6th (semis)
(h)
2009 Russian relay team disqualified
Women 8th Bronze medal-winning Russian team for the 2009 World Marathon Cup annulled
Men 4th Russian relay team disqualified
Men
Men
Men 12th
Men 5th
Men
Women 5th
Women
5th
Disqualified at two editions
Women 9th (semis)
6th
Disqualified at two editions
Women 17th
Women 10th
Women 8th
Women
Disqualified at two editions
Women 9th (semis)
Women
Men 13th (q)
Women 5th
Women 7th (q)
Women 5th
Women Gold medal-winning Russian relay team disqualified

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Russia Banned From Global Sports Competitions, Including Olympics, for 4 Years For State-Sponsored Doping. Time. Billy Perrigo. 9 December 2019.
  2. https://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/russians-neutral-athletes-2017 IAAF approves the application of seven Russians to compete internationally as neutral athletes
  3. News: Russia's supposedly stiff penalty for doping is a ban in name only The Economist. The Economist. 9 December 2019.