Privalova added in her virtual address to members before the vote on the World Athletics Council’s proposed resolution that her federation was "working hard – but there is still a lot to do."

The 53^rd World Athletics Congress approved Council’s proposed resolution on the issue following presentations from Rune Andersen, chair of the Taskforce charged with overseeing Russia’s reinstatement following the ban imposed in November 2015 in the wake of revelations of state-run doping.

The sport’s governing body said 126 national federations voted for the extension, with 18 against and 34 not voting.

Andersen said: "RusAF has made steady progress towards meeting the conditions set for its reinstatement to membership of World Athletics.

"The key milestones to date have been met, as well as the various key performance indicators set out in the Reinstatement Plan.

"Furthermore, based on input from the international experts, the Taskforce does feel that these changes are reflective of a new culture within RusAF, one that is generally looking to reject the doping practices of the past and to commit to competing clean moving forward.

"There are still people in Russian athletics who have not embraced this new culture, and there is still much work for RusAF to do to ensure that they do not exercise influence, and instead it is the new generation of athletes and coaches that push Russian athletics forward.

"But the new RusAF leadership has shown what seems to be a genuine commitment to lead this change and ensure it becomes deep-rooted in Russian athletics."

Speaking before the vote, World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe said: "In July 2021 Rune Andersen, chair of the independent Russian Taskforce charged by Council with overseeing the RusAF reinstatement process, reported to Council that since March 2021 RusAF had made satisfactory progress in achieving the milestones and key performance indicators set out on the reinstatement plan.

"On that basis, Council decided to continue to hold the expulsion proposal in abeyance and instead to recommend that the 53^rd Congress agree to maintain the suspension of RusAF’s membership until all the agreed conditions for reinstatement have been met."

Privalova, the Sydney 2000 Olympic women’s 400 metres hurdles champion who took over her current role in February last year, said: "I would like to thank World Athletics for the opportunity to address this Congress.

"For me it’s a great honour and sign of trust in the work that RusAF is doing to restore full membership of World Athletics.

"We believe that the Russian Athletics Federation is well on the way to recognition as a clear participant.

"The strategic plan and the reinstatement road map are being implemented step-by-step.

"The relevant document can be found on the World Athletics website giving the whole community to see the changes that are now taking place in Russian Athletics.

"The RusAF actively promotes a zero-tolerance policy regarding doping.

"We are working hard, and there is still a lot to do.

"But the main feeling is that has already been achieved there can be no return to the past.

"We have a completely new management of our Federation.

"Clean sport and clean athletes are the only way to develop the sport worldwide."

The Russian Athletics Federation is under new management after former president Dmitry Shlyakhtin and four other officials were banned for obstructing an anti-doping investigation into the 2018 world indoor high jump champion Danil Lysenko by presenting fake medical documents. 

Russia was hoping to have the ban lifted in 2019 before that case pushed the country back to the brink of being expelled from World Athletics altogether.

RusAF admitted the charges against it and subsequently paid World Athletics a $5 million (£3.7million/€4.4million) fine (with another $5 million suspended) plus $1.3 million(£965,000/€1.15million) in costs.

As a result, Council decided not to propose expulsion of RusAF, provided RusAF developed a new reinstatement plan.