The fact that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rejected applications of the Russian athletes to participate in international competitions, including the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has caused outrage in the Russian sports circles.
"The refusals were received by everyone, except for long jump athlete Darya Klishina," head of the legal department at the Russian Olympic Committee Alexandra Brilliantova told TASS on Sunday.
"Exactly these refusals and the reasons for those the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 athletes in their claim to CAS will be arguing," she said. "All 68 people have filed claims, including referring to refusals of the kind."
"Right now the most important thing is for athletes stay calm, continue training according with their plans, and fulfill all the requirements of WADA on doping control," she said.
It is high time now to dissolve the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS commenting on the Association's decision to reject applications from all Russian athletes for participation in international competitions, including in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, except for long jumper Darya Klishina.
"In my opinion, it was complicated to expect anything different from them," the minister said. "It does not surprise me, though disappoints. They are outside the legal sphere. It is high time already to dissolve that organization."
"They have already taken themselves into a deadlock," he said. "This is anything else now but sports. Athletes nowadays are deprived of freedom."
The decision made by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) means that athletes such as the pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva won’t be allowed to compete when the games get underway in Brazil in August, her trainer Evgeny Trofimov told, RT writes.
Isinbayeva, who has been outspoken at the stance taken by the IAAF, once again hit out at the organization.
“The fact that they threw this out shows their weakness and their helplessness,” Isinbayeva told TASS, referring to the IAAF. “The presumption of innocence before guilt does not exist and they cannot show who is clean in Russia and who isn’t. They just show their ineffectiveness.”
“I would disband the whole federation and would change those running the organization yet again. They are ineffective and are breaking up world athletics. Everyone understands clearly that without the Russians at the Games, only half the TV audience is going to watch the Olympics and this is bad for the sponsors. It’s also bad for the public who want to watch us compete,” Isinbayeva added.
Russian Olympic Committee continues to fight for the participation of Russian athletes in 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the head of the Interim Coordination Committee of the Russian Olympic Committee on the activities of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) Gennady Aleshin stated..
"IAAF's refusal was expected, this situation could be predicted. IAAF continues to follow its course," Aleshin said.
