Of the 473 athletes or athlete support personnel listed on the AIU’s Global List of Ineligible Persons, uploaded on December 31 2022, a total of 92 represent Russia.

Just five nations account for more than half of the total figure as Russia are followed by India, with 65 recorded sanctions, Kenya, with 54, Morocco, with 24, and China, with 20.

The majority of the cases listed are related to infractions in the last five years, but there are confirmations of lifetime bans for offences dating back more than a decade.

Many of the Russian cases relate to infractions before the November 2015 ban, but there are numerous infractions detected in the last three years.

World Athletics banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from its competitions in February last year in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But work has continued to lift the ban applied to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in November 2015.

The latter has kept all Russian athletes out of the frame save for those who have been able to show sufficient anti-doping records to qualify as Authorised Neutral Athletes - although even this latter category no longer operates following the more recent ban.

At last November’s World Athletics Council meeting Rune Andersen, chair of the Taskforce working for the reinstatement of RUSADA, said there was "a new culture of good governance and zero tolerance for doping throughout the organisation".

He added that "the Taskforce expects to be in a position by March 2023 to make a final recommendation to Council on the reinstatement of RusAF" - although this was subject to several conditions which he went on to explain.

Asked for his thoughts on the RUSADA situation in an end-of-year media briefing, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "The Russian Taskforce will report back to the Council in March.

"I’m not really commenting on anything until we have that report.

"I don’t know what they will report back.

"Rune certainly reported to our Council that he saw some light at the end of the tunnel but it will be the Taskforce’s decision over whether the reinstatement criteria have been fulfilled and that will be reported back to us."

Kenya, renowned for its long-distance and middle-distance runners, has been classified since 2016 in category A of the countries under surveillance by World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), alongside Belarus, Ethiopia, Morocco or Ukraine.

Athletics Kenya was said to have been facing a lengthy blanket ban from World Athletics competitions if nothing was done to halt its recent spate of doping positives, evading severe sanction thanks to prompt and effective action by its Government.

Reports in the Kenyan media had hinted that the country's athletes faced a suspension of two or more years following soaring numbers of cases over the past year.

But World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said in Rome that a serious response from the Kenyan Sports Minister, Amina Mohamed, meant both sides were now working towards a solution.

Coe however predicted it would be "a long journey" to regain trust.

There was no confirmation from World Athletics over whether a lengthy ban had been mooted as a possible lever for action, but Coe commented: "Following recent conversations with the Kenyan Sports Minister a few weeks about the doping situation in Kenya, we have made some real progress.

"I received a letter from the Sports Minister last week which I have been given permission to share with you, and in it the Government has confirmed its agreement to add a further $5 million (£4.17 million/€4.83 million) annually over five years."

Coe underlined his stance today as he visited Nairobi.

"The road will be long, let's not kid ourselves, this will not be solved overnight," Coe said during a press conference with Kenya's Minister of Sports, Ababu Namwamba.

The country's authorities have promised to spend nearly €24 million (£1.2 million/$25.2 million) over five years to finance the fight against doping by recruiting additional agents, increasing the number of tests and strengthening education and awareness programmes for sportsmen.

"Kenya will spare no effort in the fight against doping," the country's President William Ruto announced on Twitter.

"The Government will go the extra mile to protect the integrity of athletics."

The country set up its own anti-doping agency in 2016 and introduced criminal penalties, including prison terms, although no one has been prosecuted to date.

Seven other nations are on double figures on the global list.

Turkey have 18 sanctions registered, Italy have 15, South Africa 14, Ukraine 13, Belarus 12, the United States 11 and Brazil 10.

Two other nations whose doping records have come under sharp focus in recent years, Ethiopia and Jamaica, provide eight and two cases respectively.

Kazakhstan are on nine cases, with Romania on eight, Iraq and Nigeria on seven, and Iran and France on six.