Yelena Isinbayeva quits as anti-doping chair after international pressure

Yelena Isinbayeva was under pressure to quit as head of Russian Anti-Doping Agency supervisory council after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) called for her removal

Twice Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva has resigned as chair of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), the Interfax news agency reported -- a move that may help Russian athletes return to international competition.

Yelena Isinbayeva has resigned as the head of Russia’s anti-doping agency. She will continue to be part of the anti-doping programmes. (Getty Images)

Isinbayeva was under pressure to quit as head of RUSADA’s supervisory council after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) called for her removal, one of four steps it said were necessary for RUSADA to retrieve its right to oversee the testing of Russian athletes.

“I will work and implement anti-doping programmes. I am simply transferring my seat to a new chairman,” Interfax cited Isinbayeva as saying on Wednesday.

Isinbayeva added she would remain a member of RUSADA’s supervisory council despite her resignation as chairwoman.

It was not immediately clear how WADA would respond to Wednesday’s development.

RUSADA was stripped of its WADA accreditation after a report published in November 2015 accused it of systematically violating anti-doping regulations.

A majority of Russian athletes are set to miss the world championships in London in August if a separate but related ban against the country’s athletics federation stays in place.

Other changes WADA is demanding from RUSADA include drug testers being allowed access to closed cities where it says athletes continue to evade testing, access to athletes’ biological passports, and the implementation of a conflict of interest policy.