Double Olympic medalist in figure skating Irina Slutskaya on the air of the program “There is a theme!” on made a prediction when Russia would be back in international sports.
The International Skating Union (ISU) confirmed in early June the suspension of Russian athletes from participating in competitions under the organization’s auspices. This decision was taken in 2022 in the context of the situation in Ukraine.
– How do you like the World Cup without the Russians?
– I don’t watch it.
– Who loses more – us or those who kidnap us?
“You can’t tell who loses the most. We lose due to non-participation in international tournaments, but we do not lose the skill, but they lose dramatically and financially. The International Olympic Committee tries with all its might to attract our athletes, there are not enough of them. Periodically, offers of participation arrive, often absurd. Athletes themselves feel the most pain.
Figure skating ends quickly for an athlete. A year or two, and the athlete leaves the race. It is very important to enter the Olympic cycle, the year of the Olympic Games. There are some incredibly talented guys who miss out on their careers.
Can figure skating disappear from the International Skating Union (ISU)?
– I don’t think that will happen. I would like our people to come back on the international scene. I’m an optimist, I want to believe it a little more, and we’ll be back. I believe in victory and in our president. And in the West, they will understand that sport has nothing to do with it. Apparently there is pressure, and they are afraid. After a Winter Olympics, I think we will come back.
– IOC makes sense [как организация]?
— Nothing is permanent, as a structure it will exist. More worthy people will come, courageous people who will make decisions. And the Olympics will go back to when wars stopped, and it was a celebration of sport,” Slutskaya said on .
In March 2023, the IOC recommended that sports federations allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions as neutral athletes and subject to a number of additional conditions.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Italy.
Source : MatchTV
I’m John White and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. My specialty is covering sports news, which I’ve been doing for over 6 years now. During this time, I have worked as an author with Athletistic, a popular online news website focusing on sports topics.
