Russia’s Makarova surprised at negative attitude to swimmer Yefimov
Rio de Janeiro, Aug 9 (Tass) Russian tennis player Yekaterina Makarova has said she was surprised by fans booing compatriot swimmer Yulia Yefimova and added that such a situation would be unthinkable in her sport.
Yefimova won an Olympic silver medal in 100-metre breaststroke on Monday, reports Tass.
The fans booed her during the performance and her rival American Lilly King refused to congratulate her after the final round. King later apologised for her conduct.
“I cannot understand why Yefimova is being insulted. We do not feel that at all in tennis while in swimming everybody is attacking the Russians. Fans love us, the tennis players, very much. Russian tennis players are well behaved. That is why the local fans support us. We hear them shouting: ‘Russia forward!’,” Makarova said on Tuesday.
The Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned Yefimova’s ban imposed on her by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on August 4.
Yefimova was forced to file a case after the IOC banned the athlete from competing in the Rio Olympics for a doping rules violation in 2013.
The CAS decision allowed the Russian to compete at Rio, only to experience some negative reactions.