Yulia Efimova: “I would like to compete in Paris as part of the Russian national team, so that when we win, our anthem will sound and our flag will be raised”

Triple Olympic medalist in swimming Yulia Efimova in an interview with , she said that winning the Olympics was her dream and that in Paris in 2024, if possible, she would like to compete for her country.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on December 8 that it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes who successfully qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics to have individual neutral status. In Paris, Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete without a flag, anthem and other national symbols. The IOC banned the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who had expressed support for the SVO.

— Dozens of Russian athletes have already obtained neutral status, their names appear in the news. But you have not yet requested this status, to my knowledge.

– Yes. But the Olympics are the Olympics. It’s every athlete’s dream. This is my dream. I have already participated in four Olympic Games. And if such an opportunity arises, I think we should seize it. But what is important: if you go to the Olympics, then for the prizes. It won’t do any good to ride like that.

If I have the strength, if I am ready, I will examine all scenarios, everything is possible. We have to see the situation, how everything is going to happen. It’s unpredictable. But it’s still the Olympics. This is of great value to athletes.

Now I look at the guys… Yes, it’s cool to win the Russian championship. Yes, it’s very cool to break a national, European and world record. But the title of world champion and Olympic champion is for life. This may not happen again.

— The same Evgenia Chikunova, who set the world record in the 200m breaststroke, may not be in the same brilliant form in 2028, for the next Summer Olympics.

– Of course you’re right. And it’s everyone’s choice. Everyone is responsible for themselves. But it seems to me that if such an opportunity exists, we should try.

At the same time, there is not even anything to discuss – I would like to perform in Paris as part of Russian national team so that when we win, our anthem will be played and our flag raised. For it to be good and fun, that’s what we’re used to. I would like to compete for my country so we can all be together as a team.

— Our hockey players won the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang without a flag or anthem.

— I remember this victory very well. We are all proud of her. This was done for Russia. This is a valuable Olympic gold medal.

– Purely theoretical, let’s speculate. What if you went to the Olympics alone?

– It is very difficult from a moral point of view. Because not only will all the foreigners around you look bad at you, but also your own people in Russia. But here you have to decide for yourself whether you are going to do it.

— President of the All-Russian Swimming Federation Vladimir Salnikov told that our athletes are called to the Olympics as outcasts and this is simply a humiliation. There will be a million restrictions.

– Well, that’s how it goes in my life. Remember how I got to the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. That means I will be in my element,” Efimova told .