RUSSIA'S loss could be Australia's gain.
Athletics Australia chief executive officer Phil Jones has revealed a plan to bid for the 2016 IAAF World Race Walking Cup in the wake of Russia be stripped of hosting the event next year. 
In suspending Russia as a result of the doping scandal from all international competition yesterday, IAAF president Sebastian Coe also banned them from holding any major athletic meets in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, including the World Junior championships.
The 2016 World Race Walking Cup is a major Olympic lead-up event and yet despite its significance, Australia's London Silver medallist Jared Tallent had declared he was planning to boycott the meet if Russia remained the host nation. It's a course of action he can now avoid.
"The very strong vote of 22-1 in support of the suspension of the ARAF indicates that the newly elected IAAF Council, like Athletics Australia, has zero tolerance for doping in sport," Jones said.
"Consistent with our support of the action taken by the IAAF, Athletics Australia has indicated our interest in bidding, at the appropriate time, to host the IAAF World Race Walking Cup." Russia could be back on the path to reinstatement for next year's Olympic track and field competition after reaching an agreement with the IOC on anti-doping reforms.
The International Olympic Committee produced a road map over the weekend that it said should bring Russia's track and field athletes back into the fold in time for the games in Rio de Janeiro ."We are confident that the initiatives being proposed by the ROC, with the responsible international organizations, WADA and the IAAF, will ensure compliance as soon as possible in order to provide participation of the clean Russian athletes at the Olympic Games," IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement.