Russian stars slam ‘unfair’ suspension

Russian track and field stars including pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva on Monday denounced as “completely unfair” the decision by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) decision to provisionally suspend Russia.

“Why do people like me have to suffer from the mistakes of irresponsible athletes?” three-time Olympic medallist Isinbayeva told reporters.

A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) independent commission last week published a damning report that alleged Russian athletics were plagued with state-sponsored doping and large-scale corruption, and recommended that track and field athletes be barred from international competition.

The IAAF on Friday handed the Russian athletics federation a provisional suspension, sparking indignation among the country’s brightest track and field stars.

Isinbayeva, 33, for whom the upcoming Rio Olympics would be her fifth and a finish of her career, wrote Saturday on Instagram she was “shocked” by the decision, after having implored world athletis’ governing body for leniency.

Russian sporting officials have announced a three-month plan to revamp athletics in time for track and field stars to participate in the Rio de Janeiro Games in August 2016.