Double Olympic biathlon champion Dmitry Vasilyev On the air of the program “There is a subject” on , he discussed the reasons for the interest of Scandinavian skiers in the extension of the suspension of Russians from international competitions.
On Wednesday, International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) board member Erik Röste said the decision to suspend the Russians and Belarusians following an FIS board meeting had been extended for the coming season.
— Why were the Scandinavians so nervous when discussing the decision to extend the Russian suspension?
— The power of propaganda is obvious. You can’t expect solid analysis from athletes. Because they are busy with their work, training and performance. We are very far from the details. Guided by countries’ propaganda statements, they draw conclusions.
Moreover, the Russians are the main competitors. Why not take advantage of this opportunity and keep ourselves away from international competitions for longer?!
I would like to ask these athletes a question. What do they want? What is the end goal? This can’t last forever. Unknown period. But they also suggest that we never admit that this is complete nonsense. The question arises: what are they smoking and sniffing there?
— Do you have any feelings about the Winter Olympics regarding eligibility in biathlon and skiing?
— It’s not about the Games, but in general about the admission of Russians to international competitions. In my opinion, until the end of the SVO, until the IOC and Bach are fired, it is unlikely that anything will change. We cannot count on the favor of fools. I think we need to calm down, take our time and not fight for an Olympic Games. The games are getting worse now. It is necessary to create a new format, which has been talked about a lot.
Why not use the BRICS format? At first it won’t be a very competitive competition. But at first, the Olympic Games only brought a smile. Today, half of humanity watches them. You have to do your job. And don’t wait to be invited. But we will still be invited, I have no doubt,” Vavil’ev said on .
Russians and Belarusians have been suspended from FIS competitions since March 2022 due to the situation in Ukraine.
At the end of March this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced recommendations for the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. Recommendations include individual admission, neutral status, banning participation in team sports, and banning participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO.
Source : MatchTV
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