Isinbayeva withdraws candidacy for Russian athletics chief

Record ID: 76469

  • Title: Isinbayeva withdraws candidacy for Russian athletics chief
  • Date: 9th December 2016
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** YELENA ISINBAYEVA BEING SEATED DURING CONFERENCE BY THE ALL-RUSSIAN ATHLETICS FEDERATION (ARAF) CLOSE OF ISINBAYEVA VARIOUS OF ARAF CONFERENCE UNDERWAY ISINBAYEVA WALKING TOWARDS MEDIA CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF A NEW RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) SUPERVISORY COUNCIL, YELENA ISINBAYEVA, SAYING: "As I have become the chairman of the Supervisory Board of RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) I had to withdraw my candidacy for the post of President of the All-Russian Athletics Federation so that there wouldn't be a conflict of interest. As we are now fighting for trust on behalf of our colleagues from the International Federation of Athletics, I did not want to aggravate the current situation." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF A NEW RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) SUPERVISORY COUNCIL, YELENA ISINBAYEVA, SAYING: "Of course it is within my interest to prevent the situation which I came under, so treatment of our sportsmen from our country is the same as that with all other sportsmen. So that it isn't biased only because we are being accused of absolutely everything that is possible." MEDIA VARIOUS OF ISINBAYEVA SURROUNDED BY MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2016 13:16
  • Keywords: Russia Yelena Isinbayeva RUSADA doping athletics WADA
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015C5WX1B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Dmitri Shlyakhtin was re-elected as President of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) on Friday (December 9) after twice Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva withdrew her candidacy.
    The 49-year-old Shlyakhtin received 36 votes, five more than rival Andrei Silnov, and will serve another four years in the post.
    Isinbayeva, who Russian media reported had been the favourite to get the job, announced her withdrawal from the election on Friday following her being named as head of a new Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Supervisory Council on Wednesday (December 7).
    "As I have become the chairman of the Supervisory Board of RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) I had to withdraw my candidacy for the post of President of the All-Russian Athletics Federation so that there wouldn't be a conflict of interest. As we are now fighting for trust on behalf of our colleagues from the International Federation of Athletics, I did not want to aggravate the current situation," Isinbayeva told reporters.
    Isinbayeva, 34, retired from athletics in August after Russia's track and field team were banned from competing at the Rio Olympics due to systematic doping in the country.
    She vowed to fight against blanket bans of athletes in her new role.
    "Of course it is within my interest to prevent the situation which I came under, so treatment of our sportsmen from our country is the same as that with all other sportsmen. So that it isn't biased only because we are being accused of absolutely everything that is possible," said Isinbayeva.
    Shlyakhtin took over as interim president in January, nearly a year after Valentin Balakhnichev stepped down.
    The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has banned Balakhnichev for life over his role in covering up positive drugs tests committed by Russian athletes.
    Shlyakhtin initially said he would quit as ARAF chief at the end of 2016 due to a heavy workload but then decided to stand for election. He is also the sports minister of the Samara Region, chairman of Krylya Sovetov soccer club and vice president of Lada Togliatti ice hockey club.
    Russia was suspended from world athletics last year following allegations of widespread state-sponsored doping in a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), causing the country's biggest sporting scandal in several decades.
    In November 2015, WADA revoked the status of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory saying that RUSADA did not comply with WADA standards.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register