“Sport in Russia will not weaken because of sanctions. A conditional Russiada will appear » – Olympic champion Zakharov

Olympic diving champion Ilya Zakharov in an interview with , he said that, despite the difficult international situation, Russia as a country is open to everyone and will not weaken due to sanctions.

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. Some federations have followed the recommendations and allow athletes in a neutral status. In many sports, Russians and Belarusians remain under sanctions.

— We cannot refuse the Olympics ourselves, otherwise the ROC will be disqualified for two cycles.

“Then a conditional Russiada will appear. You see what happens. All Olympic principles have been violated. The Olympic Charter has been trampled. Why was it created many years ago? Russia was one of the creators of Olympic history, but what is happening today?

In general, I look at this situation positively. Yes, we now have no international experience. But we, as a country, are open. Next year, Russia will host the Friendship Games, the BRICS Games and many different tournaments. It’s not our problem. They are abroad.

And the only thing you can worry about is that the guys won’t develop as individuals. Travel to other countries, watch other peoples, compete with them. But the sport itself will not weaken in Russia for this reason,” Zakharov told .