Mariya Lasitskene is the finest female high jumper of her generation. WC in 2017, 2018, 2019, Lasitskene is a harsh critic of her federation. The following piece is from the Moscow Times.
Mariya Lasitskene, photo by PhotoRun.net
I Am a Russian World Champion and I Demand Answers
We chose not to learn from our mistakes.
I was deprived of the right to compete under the Russian flag in 2015. It looks like I won’t get it back until at least 2024. I’m not a judge so I can’t issue a verdict or punish those who are responsible for this. I’m just an athlete, but I have many questions.
What actually happened in the Russian Athletics Federation (RAF) in 2015? Did we conduct an internal investigation? Who was ultimately punished — apart from the athletes who were caught doping and the five or six officials and coaches who were suspended directly by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations)? Did we simply agree with the accusations and decide not to pursue it further?
And if the main people responsible for the scandal were punished, then why has barely anything changed? How come our athletes continue to systematically use banned substances, how come coaches linked to doping continue to work with impunity and how come our sporting officials continue to falsify official documents?
To read the entire piece by the WC in the high jump, please click here: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/12/10/i-am-a-russian-world-champion-and-i-demand-answers-a68545
