A Russian Sports Ministry report has found that the country would be competitive in 19 athletics events if allowed back to world sport ©Getty Images

A Russian Sports Ministry assessment has found that 26 of the country's competitors can be competitive in 19 athletics disciplines if they are readmitted to international sport.

Anton Lobanov, who is head of the Summer Olympic sports department if the high-performance wing of the Ministry, gave details of the study at the State Duma.

"Currently, taking into account the results of the 2022 season, if Russian athletes are admitted to international competitions, 26 athletes in 19 of the 40 types of the program are competitive," he said, as reported by Russian state-run news agency TASS.

He stated in particular a trio that are expected to challenge at a high level.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in high jump Mariya Lasitkene, another high jumper in the form of 2017 World Championships runner-up Danil Lysenko, and a 2015 world 110-metres hurdles gold medallist Sergey Shubenkov were said to be among the best Russians.

High jumper Danil Lysenko is one athlete highlighted in the report who would be expected to be competitive on the current world stage ©Getty Images
High jumper Danil Lysenko is one athlete highlighted in the report who would be expected to be competitive on the current world stage ©Getty Images

Last month, World Athletics reinstated the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) following seven years of suspension but still retained the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials due to the war in Ukraine.

"Athletes and officials for Russia and Belarus are still excluded for the foreseeable future due to the invasion of Ukraine," World Athletics President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Sebastian Coe said.

Also in March, the IOC recommended that International Federations allow individual Russian and Belarusian athletes back to global sporting competitions provided they do not support the war and are not contracted to their country's armed forces.

"As I noted at the time these measures were introduced last year, the unprecedented sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus by countries and industries all over the world appear to be the only peaceful way to disrupt and disable Russia’s current intentions and restore peace," Coe said.