Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, stated on Thursday that it was “unlikely” that track and field competitors from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete again in the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, all Russian and Belarusian athletes have been barred from participating “for the foreseeable future”. That includes the choice to compete impartially.

“I don’t have a crystal ball, I follow world events in the same way that you all do,” Coe told journalists after his re-election as head of track and field’s world governing body.

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“Our position is very clear. The Council has made that position clear.

“The new Council – and I’m not going to speak for them in advance – but I would be very surprised if there is any shift in that position.

“We have certainty and we’ve done it for reasons of integrity of competition.”

Coe added: “We will of course monitor that situation.

“We have risk committees, we have working groups that will always be wanting to be across that and what might the circumstances look like if there’s any shift in the situation but I have to say that looks unlikely at the moment with where we are with events in Ukraine.”

While the conflict in Ukraine rages on, international sports organisations are taking dramatically divergent positions on whether to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims it has not yet decided whether Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Paris, despite having urged their return to competition.

Federations have reacted differently to this approach, with Coe’s World Athletics being one of the most adamant opponents of their return should the controversy persist.