It seems like the Russian track and field athletes will not be able to represent their country in the Rio Olympic this year, the international association of athletics federations announced Friday, but individual athletes do have a way forward to compete as a neutral athlete.

The IAAF upheld its ban on Russia’s track and field federation, saying the country had made some progress in cleaning up since the suspension was imposed in November but failed to meet the requirements for reinstatement and would be barred from sending its athletes to the Rio Games that begin in 50 days.

“Although significant progress has been made, several important criteria were not satisfied,” Rune Andersen, head of the IAAF’s independent task force, told reporters.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will meet next Tuesday to decide whether to uphold the IAAF’s decision, which will determine if Russia’s track and field team can compete in Rio in August.

Even President Vladimir Putin condemned the decision as “unfair,” telling a meeting of leaders of major international news agencies in St. Petersburg that athletes who compete without doping “shouldn’t suffer.”

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