MP Fetisov criticized Olympic champion Isinbayeva for leaving Russia

Two-time Olympic champion and State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Fetisov said on May 29 that two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva left Russia at a difficult time for the country.

"She ran away from the country at a difficult time <... > She's made a decision that she has to live with now. Lena is an outstanding athlete, and I'm sorry that she made such a decision. I don't know what prompted her to do this, she has to be responsible for what happens in her life," the Sport24 portal quotes him as saying.

According to Fetisov, Isinbayeva, as a member of the athletes' commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was supposed to protect the interests of Russian athletes and speak out on decisions affecting the Russian Federation. However, the athlete's position "was not heard in the Russian Federation, when the state was suspended from everywhere." The deputy of the State Duma added that the Athletics Federation will be able to cope with its tasks without her participation.

On May 16, the procedure for compulsory debt collection also began in relation to Isinbayeva. It was noted that the amount owed by the athlete is 7,187 rubles. Prior to that, her bank accounts were blocked due to non-payment of taxes.

Yelena Isinbayeva became Olympic champion in 2004 and 2008, and won a bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012. She is also a three-time outdoor world champion and a four-time indoor world champion.