Rio 2016: Ex-Olympic pole vault champ Yelena announces retirement

Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva announced her retirement on Friday with a bitter broadside at international athletics chief Sebastian Coe over the Olympic ban imposed on Russian athletes for state-sponsored doping

Rio de Janeiro: Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva announced her retirement on Friday with a bitter broadside at international athletics chief Sebastian Coe over the Olympic ban imposed on Russian athletes for state-sponsored doping.

Yelena Isinbayeva addresses the media on Friday. Pic/AFP

"Yelena Isinbayeva is finishing her career today," the 34-year-old told reporters a day after being elected onto the International Olympic Committee's athletes commission.

"I thought I would be very sad but the election has inspired me. I am not saying goodbye to sport, just to my sport," she added.

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