Pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva announces retirement
Friday 19 August 2016 21:43, UK
Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva has announced her retirement a day after she was elected to the International Olympic Committee's athletes commission.
The world record holder and double Olympic champion was unable to compete at Rio 2016 after Russia's track and field athletes were banned from taking part.
Speaking at a press conference in Rio, Isinbayeva said the International Association of Athletics Federations would be judged "by god" over that decision.
The 34-year-old then announced her decision to retire, saying: "Yelena Isinbayeva is finishing her professional career, this is my statement."
"I'm very happy that I fulfilled my dreams, I won all possible medals, all possible titles, I won the trust and love of all the fans in the world."
Isinbayeva, who has never failed a drug test, won gold in 2004 and 2008 and set a world record of 5.06m in 2009.
She said of the IAAF and its president Sebastian Coe:"Why am I here and not preparing for the final? Because the IAAF set criteria that were impossible to meet.
"How can one person ban someone from training and living in their own country? These are impossible odds; we could not fulfil these criteria."
"My victories are all clean, all my tests have been negative. I am a victim of circumstances. At first I thought I would never forgive them for banning me.
"Now I have changed my mind. If the president of the IAAF believes that they did an honest thing and that we were treated fairly, then let god be the judge. It will be on their conscience."
