Source link : https://london-news.net/maria-lasitskene-contemplates-retirement-after-years-of-isolation-from-global-athletics/
Maria Lasitskene, the Russian Olympic champion in high jump, announced on Tuesday her contemplation of retirement at the age of 32 after nearly a decade of her nation being excluded from international events due to state-sponsored doping scandals and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“I’m unsure when or if I will return at all,” Lasitskene stated in an interview with the state-operated RIA Novosti news agency. “Athletes in track and field have faced a suspension lasting 10 years, and I personally no longer feel motivated to compete solely in domestic events.”
The ban on Russia was imposed by World Athletics in 2015, following a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency that revealed a widespread doping culture. This ban was further extended in 2022 to encompass all athletes from Russia and Belarus after the Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced.
In response to these restrictions, many Russian athletes have reportedly switched their sporting nationality in order to participate in international competitions.
Lasitskene secured Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 as part of the neutral Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team. She is also the first woman to achieve three consecutive world titles in high jump, winning in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
According to RIA Novosti, Lasitskene missed the Russian Athletics Championships last winter for the first time in her career and has decided to skip the national summer championships, which are set to begin Wednesday in Sochi, a…
—-
Author : rimmaruslan98@gmail.com
Publish date : 2025-05-29 15:24:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
—-
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8