The ban against Russian and Belarusian athletes has been lifted, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said.
However, athletes from those countries will still be excluded "for the foreseeable future" due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said at a news conference Thursday.
World Athletics is the international governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running and more. It hosts several international events and competitions, according to its website.
"The Council agreed to the reinstatement of the Russian Federation (RusAF) following seven years of suspension and that of course was due to the egregious institutional doping violations. However, athletes, officials and supporting personnel from Russia and Belarus are still excluded from competition for the foreseeable future due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine," the World Federation said in a statement.
Some background: In January, the International Olympic Committee outlined a multi-step plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate at the upcoming 2024 Summer Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.
IOC president Thomas Bach defended the decision Wednesday, calling for officials to “keep politics and sports apart." The plan would allow competitors to participate as neutral athletes, without representing their home country via flag, anthem, uniform or other identification.