Russian MMA fighter Alexander Shlemenko told that he would support every athlete’s choice for the Olympics, but if admitted to the tournament, athletes should not be afraid to show the Russian tricolor.
The IOC announced in January that it would consider admitting to international competitions neutral Russian and Belarusian athletes who did not actively support the CBO. In most sports, against the background of the situation in Ukraine, Russian athletes are deprived of the opportunity to participate in international tournaments.
What do you think of the next Paris Olympics? Should athletes settle for neutral status?
– It’s everybody’s business. Purely my opinion – I’m not calling anyone. But if I was in the place of the Olympians, I would not compete without a flag.
I will not condemn anyone for speaking under a neutral status. The whole country invests in an athlete, he is a member of the national team, the training centers work for this athlete. You know, who will forbid you to take and snatch the flag after the victory? Let you hide it in your pocket or somewhere else. Why don’t they? I don’t understand,” Shlemenko told .
Shlemenko is on a two-game losing streak and a draw after fights with Alexander Ilic, Kleber Souza and Magomed Ismailov. In total, Shlemenko has 61 wins, 15 losses, 1 draw, 1 fight was declared invalid.
Live broadcasts of mixed martial arts tournaments take place on the federal channel, matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
