Only in the history of three-time world champion in the high jump Laecken Maria wrote an open letter to the leadership of the Ministry of sport and the Olympic Committee of Russia in connection with the four-year disqualification of Russian athletes, in which the rigid form accountable sports officials.
“I was deprived of the Russian flag at the end of 2015. And finally it will return, most likely, only in 2024-m. I am not a judge, and executioner to deliver a verdict and to enforce the punishment for those who are to blame. I’m a athlete who has a lot of issues”, – quotes the letter of Maria “championship”.
Maria points to the problems on the example of athletics, which vegetate under the now widely introduced sanctions already in 2015. Then, because of the doping scandal was disqualified by the all-Russian athletics Federation (vfla), but the athletes gained a neutral status in which they reside to this day.
On December 11, the Presidium of wfla must once again decide which way will emerge from the crisis. Laecken’m sure nothing will change.
“So what happened with the Russian athletics and wfla in 2015? We conducted an internal investigation? Who in the end was punished? Well, except those caught in the doping of athletes and the five or six officials and coaches, which has suspended itself by the IAAF. Or we just agreed with everything and did not find out anything further?” – asks the champion.
Laecken indicates that the situation has not changed. Currently, athletics is still in full use drugs safely operate coaches of athletes caught doping, and officials-heads of falsifiziert official documents.
The majority of the regional federations are barely making ends meet, and in the domestic tournaments the athletes are mostly in favor of trophies and certificates. The level of the results decreases, athletics goes not only TVs, but also from major Russian cities.
“I wonder what exactly did the Ministry of sport and R & d over the past four years, in order to protect me personally? You have created such a large number of different commissions, but I never found the results of their work. And today I don’t have a neutral status and not even have the ability to obtain it.
I’ve already missed one Olympic games and one and a half years of international competition. And, apparently, this is not the limit. So who ultimately is to blame? And who will return to me lost? Why have we come to a situation where the presence of the neutral status should be enjoyed by the athlete? I am a Russian athlete who wants and has the right to freely compete on the international arena under the Russian flag, listening to the Russian national anthem. I don’t want and don’t have to Wake up in the morning thinking today will be whether the IAAF mood to prevent me from competition,” notes Maria.
The athlete admits that, most likely, will not receive answers to their questions. But he wants to be honest to myself, the fans and young athletes. And want to get what belongs to her – the right to speak.
“I’m not supposed to do that. I report to you my results. I think that in this regard you have for me today, no special claims. But you, in my opinion, should be accountable to us for their actions. After all it is your organization, run the sport in our country. But the heart of the sport is the athletes”, concluded Maria.
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