Double Olympic champion Boris Mikhailov in an interview with , he said that officials were not allowing the national team Russia at international tournaments, as teams like Sweden and Finland risk being left without medals.
The Russian national team has been suspended from international tournaments since 2022.
— Do you think our team will be allowed to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy?
“If I had become president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), even for just an hour, I would have authorized it straight away. All the leaders of the IOC and international federations understand that without the Russian team, it would not be the same World Championships and the same Olympic Games. But I understand why they don’t let us enter Europe: because teams like Sweden and Finland risk ending up without any medals! This is what they are afraid of. For them, Russia is an additional competitor. It’s hard to beat us. That’s it. Therefore, it is easier not to meet us at all, not to allow us to participate in tournaments.
— In two years, there will be elections for the president of the International Hockey Federation. Maybe something will change when Luc Tardif leaves?
— I don’t work for the international federation, so I can’t say what will happen. But it is time to think about what the new president could be and who the candidates will be. And then look what happens: some are allowed (to tournaments), others are not. It is clear that this is fundamentally wrong. As they say in politics, you have to have double standards,” Mikhailov told .
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Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
