MOSCOW – Double Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva has been re-elected the head of the supervisory board of Russia’s anti-doping agency, whose activity was suspended by the world anti-doping agency for non-compliance, Russian state TV reported.
“We will watch and control everybody and everything,” Isinbayeva said in an interview outside the office of the Russian anti-doping agency, RUSADA, after the appointment was announced.
“We have just one attempt … to clear our sport of this dirt.”
Isinbayeva was a part of the Russian national track-and-field team banned from taking part in Rio Olympics due to doping allegations. She tried to appeal the decision, accusing international sports institutions of a crackdown on Russian athletes.
Isinbayeva has been an outspoken critic of the IAAF’s ban of the Russian Federation, saying it is unfair that innocent athletes are punished alongside the guilty, and also rejects WADA’s allegation that the country’s problems were a result of “state-sponsored doping.”
MARIA TSVETKOVA