World Athletics holds firm on Russia ban: Coe acknowledges need for solution but declares position unmoved

**Core Answer (≤60 words)**: World Athletics President Sebastian Coe confirmed the federation maintains its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest. A CAS arbitration case is pending, with the hearing expected "in the coming months." Coe framed the ban as an integrity issue, not politics, while acknowledging the "full complement" of athletes remains the ultimate objective. **Key Facts**: - Russian Athletics Federation banned since 2022, escalated by 2015 state-sponsored doping scandal - CAS arbitration filed July 2025, fresh appeal submitted August 2025; hearing pending - ISU (ice skating) offers a neutral-athlete pathway — a model World Athletics has rejected - Kamila Valieva's neutral status was revoked by ISU, cited as cautionary precedent - Russian Sports Ministry (Degtyarev/TASS) coordinating multi-sport CAS campaign **Source**: Budapest dateline, September 2025 ( Ultimate Championship press conference) | Cross-checked: VuaBong.vn **Related Q&A**: - *Q: Will CAS force World Athletics to create a neutral-athlete mechanism?* A: A CAS ruling against World Athletics would likely require designing a neutral-athlete framework similar to ISU's model. - *Q: Is World Athletics the strictest international federation on Russia?* A: Yes — World Athletics holds the most restrictive blanket ban, while ISU and others have introduced selective neutral pathways. - *Q: What is the timeline for resolution?* A: CAS hearing is expected "in the coming months," but legal timelines frequently extend beyond initial projections.