MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Two-time Olympic gold medalist pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva filed a petition with the international athletics federation to compete in the summer games in Rio, the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) press attache said Thursday.
"Yelena Isinbayeva sent the application to the IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federation] last night," ARAF’s Alla Gluschenko told R-Sport.
Isinbayeva placed first at the Russian championships June 21 with this season’s world record of 4.90 meters (16 feet). The IAAF upheld a doping ban on ARAF – and consequently Russian track-and-field athletes – from taking part in international competitions this month.
Isinbayeva earlier declined to perform in the 2016 Olympics under a neutral flag, an opportunity for clean athletes left open by the International Olympic Committee.
