“I really believed in my victory, because everything was heading towards that”, Isinbayeva said.
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The IOC is due to vote on Sunday on whether to confirm her as one of its 100 or so members at a time of crisis in Olympic-Russia relations.
Isinbayeva, meanwhile, has been outspoken in her criticism of the decision to ban the Russian athletics team from the Games in Rio.
“This is the final vault in my career as an acting athlete – and the start of a new chapter in my life”, wrote Isinbayeva alongside a video posted to her Instagram account. She appealed but failed to overturn the ruling.
Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva has been elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes’ commission for an eight-year term.
She still traveled to Rio to campaign in the election for the athletes’ representative on the International Olympic Committee. Twenty-three candidates ran for the four vacant positions.
“If you look at the big picture, when you compete without Isinbayeva it can’t be a proper gold medal”.
“What can I say to whoever will be the champion?” I say goodbye to the pole, to my medals.
And without doping, she maintains. This is what I said. “It was was not politicians or officials but the athletes”.
“I talked with my coach about going for 510 (cm) because I didn’t have any doubts that we could compete at that level”, said Isinbayeva.
He added the fact that the athletes supported the Russian pole vaulter was very important.
Isinbayeva retires as one of Russia’s best athletes ever. “We are the same team. but for some reason I didn’t receive any congratulations”. “God will be their judge”.
Isinbayeva also poured scorn on the findings of the World Anti-Doping Agency investigation that uncovered evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russian Federation and led to the team’s ban from Rio.
“I will never agree with the fact that they banned me, I will never forgive that. Today I feel much lighter”. “I’d like them to use their experience, not to foster some war but to develop sport around the world”.
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The 34-year-old, who won gold at the Athens and Beijing Games, is also hoping to replace Dmitri Shlyakhtin as head of the Russian athletics federation (ARAF) when he steps down in November. She took bronze four years ago in London.
