The US National Olympic Committee (NOC) can make any statements that do not affect anything, but Russian athletes are still suspended from international competitions, Dynamo Moscow’s world volleyball champion said in an interview with TV game. Natalia Goncharova .
Earlier, the head of the executive committee of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Suzanne Lyons, said that the United States Olympic Committee supports the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but in a neutral status and without a national flag.
— How do you judge such a statement from the Americans, one of our main competitors?
– We have already gone through history with a neutral flag. For Russian athletes, the main thing now is to participate in international competitions. In any case, we will represent Russia, everyone will know where we come from. And the US NOC’s statement means nothing, nothing will change that. Americans can say what they want, but we’re still suspended. You should not pay attention to the fact that the rhetoric of our rivals changes.
That’s when we’ll really get back on the world stage, so we’ll all rejoice together and try to win again. I really hope that next year we will be able to participate in international competitions again, but it’s not up to me, of course, but to Thomas Bach, who apparently gives recommendations to international federations,” said said Goncharova.
The executive committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended in February that federations prevent Russians and Belarusians from participating in competitions due to events in Ukraine. Many federations have followed these recommendations. In December, IOC chief Thomas Bach, following an executive committee meeting, said sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes should be extended.
Source : MatchTV
