Zhurova believes that the Russian Federation can create commercial leagues in figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics

Olympic speed skating champion Svetlana Jourova on the air of the show “There is a subject!” on admitted that Russia would create commercial leagues in figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics.

As previously learned, the IOC sent letters to the national Olympic committees at the end of October asking them to refuse to participate in the Friendship Games, which will be held from September 15 to 29, 2024 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg.

— Pressure began on other NOCs since Bach not to get involved in the BRICS Games and the Friendship Games. Will the IOC be able to do anything?

– It’s a kind of agony. There is no purely legal basis for exerting such pressure. What will he do? He can’t do anything with the NHL, whose players are simply not allowed to participate in the Games. The IOC is not the founder of our competitions. The international federations do not agree with him on the selections for the Friendship Games. It’s a friendship league, let’s think of it that way. Friendship Games League.

There will be cash prizes. This does not correspond to the understanding of the IOC. They don’t have that. These competitions are commercial. And who can prevent an athlete from participating in such a tournament?

It was not us, but the Americans who were the first to adopt this format. They created such leagues for football, hockey, American football and baseball. These are the best leagues in the world with the best players. Why can’t Russia do the same?

We will now create a figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics league. And the whole world will see how these tournaments are held and how they are not held there. This is my suggestion for now. And they understand that we can do it. They started writing these letters. They won’t be able to punish anyone.

And if they punish them, they will disqualify someone. And where will the IOC be? Who will stay with him? The BRICS represent the population of half the world. This is what they are afraid of. Friends come to visit us. Let them come. There will be a league,” Zhurova said on .

Russian athletes in most sports have been suspended from international competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. At the end of March, the IOC announced recommendations regarding the individual admission of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions. Recommendations include a neutral status, banning participation in team sports, and banning the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO. In October, the IOC Executive Committee suspended the ROC until further notice due to the inclusion of the Olympic councils of the DPR and LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions in the Russian committee.

The BRICS Games and the Future Games will take place in 2024 in Kazan.