The Russian Athletics Federation announced on Thursday that it has filed an appeal with the highest sports court, challenging the World Athletics Council's decision to extend the suspension of Russian athletes from international competitions. The Council renewed on July 3 the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competitions, four years after the first sanctions were imposed. The Russian Federation stated in a press release that it considers the decision discriminatory, noting that it has hired specialized lawyers to challenge it before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The position of the World Athletics Council means that Russian athletes in athletics will continue to be barred from international participation, despite the International Olympic Committee temporarily lifting, last Tuesday, the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, a significant step towards reintegrating Russia into the Olympic movement. Russian athletes participated as neutrals in the Paris 2024 Olympics and will also do so in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.