Seven-time world pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva has applied to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to compete in this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Alla Glushchenko, spokesperson for the All-Russian Athletics Federation, confirmed that the two-time Olympic gold medalist had applied to the IAAF on Wednesday evening, the R-Sport news website reported.
Russian athletes must apply to the IAAF before July 4 if they wish to compete in the games.
The new requirements come after the organization suspended 4,027 Russian athletes from international competition in November 2015. The move came after allegations of a widespread state-backed doping program and a damning report by the World Anti-Doping Association into Russian sport.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) upheld the decision, but ruled that Russian athletes could take part if they proved themselves “clean” to the IAAF.
Isinbayeva has been a vocal critic of the IAAF decision, claiming that it violates athletes' human rights.
Writing in The New York Times on June 15, Isinbayeva urged the commission to allow her to participate in the Olympics.
“I understand that the IAAF has to take strong action to eradicate doping, but I think it is not fair to forbid me or other clean Russian athletes from competing,” she wrote.
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