As expected, after banning from Olympics competition a first lady of pole vault, Elena Isinbaeva retires from professional sport.
Tom Bennet (Eurosport) reported from the scene that 'the news comes a day after the two-time Olympic gold medalist was voted on to the IOC athletes’ commission, despite being suspended from competition due to Russia’s athletics ban.'
He reminded that Isinbaeva was a 'vocal critic of the decision to ban Russian athletes from the Rio Games, claiming that it denied her a final chance at Olympic glory even though she was an athlete with no individual history of doping.'
But, wasn't this truth?
Without any doping history, with a perfectly clean sport career, Isinbaeva was banned to compete under the 'zero tolerance' IOC decision.
That 'zero tolerance' policy we saw at Rio, watching a numerous athletes with a doping history competing for medals.
Then-what is it about?! And, is there any sport fan that can't figure out complete picture?!
The most devastating fact was that so little objective reactions came out from sport community.
That isn't not only sad, but disappointing and senseless.
Still, let us remind how this unprecedented event took place and how world champion in women's pole vault reacted
And, this could happen to anyone, anywhere if 'someone' decide by a stroke of a pen to destroy ones career!
The court ruling, Bennet continues, was a “funeral for athletics” according to Isinbayeva, who also insinuated that Russia had been scapegoated for the incident and said on her election to the IOC commission that she will “never forgive IOC for Rio ban”.
Isinbaeva is a record holder in pole vault. What will happen if this year Rio's pole vault gold winner jumps beneath this-will then this gold matter at all?
Her current world record is 5.06 m outdoors, set in Zurich in August 2009.
As Anthony Boadle (Reuters) reported from the scene (Rio De Janeiro):
'The Serbian women's volleyball team eliminated the world's top-ranked team the United States on Thursday in a shock upset after the undefeated Americans lost their top player to a leg injury. Serbia, competing for Olympic medals for the first time, will face China who are playing for their third gold after overcoming the Netherlands in four sets.
The Serbians were riding high after sending Russia home two days earlier and defeated the U.S. 20-25 25-17 25-21 16-25 15-13 in a five-set clash that could have gone either way.
Credit: Reuters Ricardo Moraes
The U.S. team won the first set but Serbia, driven on by their formidable spiker Brankica Mihajlovic, took control after America's top-scoring middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo went off with a left knee injury sustained in the opening set.
"We put ourselves in a position to win the match but Serbia made some great plays down the stretch," U.S. coach Karch Kiraly told reporters. "This loss is deeply disappointing. It cuts deep."
The U.S. were favorites to take their first gold medal in women's volleyball. They won the World
Credit: Reuters Ives Herman
Championship in 2014 and took silver in the last two Olympics, losing both finals to Brazil, who were eliminated by China on Tuesday.
'It's something that you work so hard for, so that when the moment comes, winning is just relief. Obviously so much could have gone wrong. So to win today, the feeling is one of relief.
I wasn't happy with the time and my body did not respond to be down the straight. But I'm getting older, so I am pleased to get the gold medal.
That is the key thing.
I didn't feel any extra pressure because I don't pay attention to the media before races.
