Volleyball player Pankov said the Russian team hopes to participate all the way in the 2024 Games.

Connector between Dynamo Moscow and the Russian national volleyball team Pavel Pankov said the national team would wait until the last minute to change the decision to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on December 8 that it would grant neutral status to Russian and Belarusian athletes who successfully qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, recommendations for admission include ban on the Russian national team from participating in team competitions.

— Next year the Olympic Games will take place, where there will probably be no Russian volleyball team. With what feelings do you observe what is happening: melancholy, sadness, or have you managed to abstract yourself?

—To be honest, I don’t watch it at all. When we played international matches, I followed the Italian and Turkish championships, but now I don’t do that anymore. I even deleted the channel, it doesn’t interest me, like all foreign matches. I watch the analyzes of each round of the Russian Championship, it interests me.

— The Olympic Games are the main tournament of the four years. What are your expectations?

— We are waiting for the Olympic Games. We believe to the end that something can change and they will let us in. We will prepare and wait until the last minute.

— If they don’t allow it in Paris, will it be a big blow for Russian volleyball?

– It won’t, there’s nothing wrong with that. We will wait for the next Olympic Games. In 2026 I will be 32 years old, the most important thing is to take care of my health and continue playing.

— Do you miss national team matches?

— Matches, that is to say we play against Belarus. Let’s get together and train. It’s interesting, you get new experience from the best players in Russia – this is also necessary,” Pankov said, as quoted by Metaratings.ru.

Metaratings.ru