Double Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva has urged the IAAF not to ban the Russian Federation from competing at the Rio 2016 Games due to doping claims.
A World Anti-Doping Agency independent commission has called for the ban after allegations of doping, cover-ups and extortion within Russian athletics.
Isinbayeva, who claimed Olympic bronze for Russia at London 2012, believes that it would be "unjust and unfair" to ban the entire team from competing.
In an open letter, Isinbayeva said: "Throughout my sports career, I honestly worked, trained, won World Championships and the Olympic Games, world records.
"All my victories are honest, clean and well-deserved. I have clearly and strictly observed and continue to comply with all the rules of the anti-doping campaign, but I urge you not to align all athletes with the same brush."
The Russian government has been accused of complicity in doping and cover-ups.
Danielle Joynson
