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Russian athlete branded a 'traitor' over plans to compete under neutral flag in Rio
Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Russian athlete branded a 'traitor' over plans to compete under neutral flag in Rio
Tom Balmforth for RFE/RL, part of the New East network
Wednesday 13 July 2016 11.40 BST
Russian athlete Darya Klishina has been widely criticised after she agreed to compete under a neutral flag at next month’s Olympics, a move which could make her one of Russia’s only track-and-field athletes not banned due to a national doping scandal.
Social media denounced the long jumper as a “traitor” after she thanked her sponsors and coaches for their support and expressed gratitude to the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) for allowing her to compete.
The IAAF reportedly rejected bids from 67 Russian athletes who applied for individual dispensation to bypass the blanket ban imposed on Russia’s athletics team for massive “state-sponsored” doping, but found that the US-based Klishina could demonstrate she was clean.
Klishina still needs approval from the International Olympic Committee, as does 800-metre runner Yulia Stepanova, the whistleblower whose allegations about cheating in Russian athletics were initially ignored but subsequently snowballed into one of the biggest scandals to hit Russian sport.
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Tom Balmforth for RFE/RL, part of the New East network
Wednesday 13 July 2016 11.40 BST
Russian athlete Darya Klishina has been widely criticised after she agreed to compete under a neutral flag at next month’s Olympics, a move which could make her one of Russia’s only track-and-field athletes not banned due to a national doping scandal.
Social media denounced the long jumper as a “traitor” after she thanked her sponsors and coaches for their support and expressed gratitude to the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) for allowing her to compete.
The IAAF reportedly rejected bids from 67 Russian athletes who applied for individual dispensation to bypass the blanket ban imposed on Russia’s athletics team for massive “state-sponsored” doping, but found that the US-based Klishina could demonstrate she was clean.
Klishina still needs approval from the International Olympic Committee, as does 800-metre runner Yulia Stepanova, the whistleblower whose allegations about cheating in Russian athletics were initially ignored but subsequently snowballed into one of the biggest scandals to hit Russian sport.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/13/russian-athlete-competing-under-a-neutral-flag-at-the-olympics-branded-a-traitor
