MOSCOW, April 8 Three-time world and Olympic champion in high jump Russian Maria Lasitskene said that the All-Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) did nothing to protect clean athletes after their suspension from international competitions. On Friday, the arbitration court of the International Luge Federation (FIL), after an appeal by the Russian Luge Federation (FSSR), decided, that the suspension of Russian athletes from participation in international competitions was accepted in violation of the FIL charter and satisfied the appeal. «Today's decision on Russian lugers proves that the ARAF did not even bother to study the World Athletics charter in order to file at least a similar appeal to the court. What the athletes in including asking in their letter addressed to (acting president of the ARAF) Irina Privalova, to which we have not received an answer. ARAF leadership and international experts did nothing to protect pure Russian athletes, whose rights were once again violated,» Lasitskene told reporters. Earlier, World Athletics, against the background of events in Ukraine, suspended Russian athletes from participating in international competitions, including them before the world championship of the last winter season and the upcoming summer world championship, even in a neutral status, in which the Russians could play since 2015.
