Russian athletes: We are on the verge of final collapse and destruction of athletics

Russian sportsmen — the world champion in the hurdles Sergey Shubenkov, world champion in pole vault Angelica Sidorova and three-time world champion in high jump Maria Laecken — appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the request to pay attention to the “catastrophic situation” in athletics. Appropriate treatment laid out in Instagram Mary Laecken. It athletes are reminded that the crisis in the sport lasts from 2015.⠀”During this period of time repeatedly alternated, the Minister of sport of the Russian Federation, head of the Russian Olympic Committee and the head of wfla. All this time we regularly heard to protect Russian athletes done, doing and will do everything that is possible, — stated in the letter. — And now, 5 years later, due to the actions of the management of the club, our athletes and coaches did not realize their potential, as last autumn, they are deprived of the opportunity to speak outside of Russia even in a neutral status. And on 1 July, in default of payment of fine, wfla, athletics can be finally expelled from the international Federation.” Athletes are concerned that, despite the availability of a large number of sports structures, they still do not see a concrete plan for the exit from the protracted crisis. “We’ve already missed the 2016 Olympic games, and there is a serious chance to miss the upcoming Games in Tokyo. The question that we raise, not so much in our careers that will end sooner or later, but in the Russian athletics in General — note the authors of the appeal. — We are on the verge of final collapse and destruction of athletics”. We will remind, earlier it became known today that Russian athletes will not be able to obtain neutral status before August 1. According to the decision of the International athletics Association, the Russians refused due to non-payment of debt to the World Athletics the Russian athletics Federation (vfla). A penalty of $5 million had to be repaid by 1 July. It is reported that wfla requested the international structure for deferment of payments and the continued vesting of their athletes neutral status. So, to pay off the debt and stopped the meeting of the Working group for the restoration of wfla. We also add that Maria Laecken earlier also published an open letter addressed to the Ministry of sport of the Russian Federation and Olympic Committee associated with the decision of WADA to dismiss Russia four years from international competitions. She, in particular, asked why the athletics are still using illegal drugs, continue to work with the coaches of those athletes that were caught doping, and the officials who falsified the documents. Laecken notes that already missed one Olympic games and one and a half years of international competition, and asks what did the Agency, “to protect her”.

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