Bronze medalist of the World Boxing Championship Vsevolod Shumkov said the Russian team would not participate in the Paris Olympics without the country’s flag and anthem.
— Muslim Gadzhimagomedov expressed hope that the qualifying competitions for the Games will take place in September-December. But that apparently didn’t happen. Is there still a chance to qualify?
— There are rumors that there will still be a chance to win a ticket. Qualifying championships should take place in the coming months, perhaps it will still be possible to qualify. But it’s unlikely. In addition, the technical staff, together with the athletes and the head of the federation Tatyana Kiriyenko, unanimously decided that the Russian team would not go to Paris without the flag and anthem.
— How important is an Olympic medal to you?
— I have never hidden the fact that I have always dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion. Of course, at the amateur level this is the main award and every athlete wants to win it. But the importance of winning the World Championship should not be underestimated. Some believe that the level of competition at this competition is even slightly higher than that of the Games. After the elimination, not all top athletes make it, unlike the same World Cup.
—And if you compare Olympic gold to the title of professional world champion, which is more valuable to you?
“I think it’s still an Olympic medal,” Shumkov said, as quoted by RT.
On December 8, the IOC announced that it would allow Russian athletes who successfully qualified for the 2024 Olympics to have individual neutral status. In Paris, Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete in neutral individual status (AIN), without flags, anthems and other national symbols. The IOC banned the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who had expressed support for the SVO.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
RT
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.
