Russia's exile causing decline in standards, federation chief says

YEKATERINBURG, Russia, July 29 : More than a decade after Russia's athletics exile began, the country's athletes are losing motivation and falling behind international rivals, federation chief Boris Yaryshevsky said.Russia's isolation from international sport began with athletics, whose governing body suspended the federation in 2015 after revelations of state-sponsored doping. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to sports bodies across the world barring Russian teams and athletes from international competition.Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee this month, clearing the way for a return to the fold before the 2028 Los Angeles Games, World Athletics has reaffirmed the ban it imposed in 2022."Of course,