CHELYABINSK, Aug 27, Andrey Simonenko. Acting President of the Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) Irina Privalova, responding to criticisms of the Olympic champion in high jump Maria Lasitskene, said that she emotionally understands the athlete, but believes that we should be glad that we have in the current conditions. Earlier, Lasitskene criticized the ARAF and the Russian Ministry of Sports in an interview for insufficient, in her opinion, work to protect athletes in the conditions of their removal from major international competitions. In particular, Lasitskene stated that the ARAF could work more actively with the federations of those countries where Russians could be invited to participate in tournaments in a neutral status. «I don't think that ARAF could somehow help here. The Federation helps to neutral status. And then it's the job of personal managers to organize the participation of athletes in competitions. We can have good relations with anyone, but our athletics is under sanctions. We cannot send athletes to training camps in another country — I mean those who do not have a neutral status, nor invite anyone. Anyone who comes to us will automatically fall under sanctions himself. We are in a different position in relation to other sports, we should not forget about it. And, I think, Maria she knows all this as well as we do,» Privalova said. «Emotionally, she can be understood, she boiled. But many boiled. competition. That there are enough funds for this. Who knows, maybe they will not be from the word at all,» the agency's interlocutor added.
