Canadian Abby Hoffman named to IAAF panel monitoring Russia

The IAAF announced Tuesday the rest of the five-person panel that will monitor Russia's efforts to win reinstatement of its track and field federation.

The panel includes Canadian Abby Hoffman.

The IAAF provisionally suspended the Russian federation on Friday after the country was accused of operating a state-sponsored doping program in a report by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission.

The IAAF announced Friday that Norwegian anti-doping expert Rune Andersen would lead the inspection team.

The other panel members were announced Tuesday: IAAF Council members Hoffman, Anna Riccardi of Italy, Frank Fredericks of Namibia and Geoff Gardner of Norfolk Island.

Andersen said "it's on behalf of the innocent athletes who are Russia's athletics future that we begin our task to ensure that fair and honest competition is guaranteed."

Hoffman, 68, is a former runner who competed in four Olympics for Canada between 1964 and '76.

She told CBC Sports' Scott Russell in an interview last weekend that suspending Russia from international track and field competition is "just something we have to do" to protect the integrity of the sport.

"Clearly the Russian federation for track and field has been operating outside the parameters of our rules with respect to ethics in general and anti-doping in particular," said Hoffman, who joined the IAAF Council in 1995.