“We are obliged to respect the opinion of athletes who decided to go to the Olympic Games, as well as the opinion of those who refused” – Svishchev

Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Physical Culture and Sports Dmitry Svishchev told that it is important to respect the decision of athletes who plan to participate in the Olympic Games, as well as the opinion of those who refused the conditions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Earlier, President of the Russian Archery Federation Vladimir Yesheev told that members of the Russian archery team refused to participate in the Olympic qualifying tournaments due to the ban on using the flag and anthem of the Russian Federation. Thus, Russians will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games.

— There are only two opinions and decisions here: to participate or not to participate. During the discussions I attended, we heard the opinions of federation presidents, authoritative coaches and the athletes themselves. Some, like wrestlers and tennis players, said they would participate. Some refused outright. They are gymnasts, archery for example. There are different opinions.

The president of the country instructed the Ministry of Sports and the ROC to hold a meeting and make a decision on the participation of our athletes. Discussions are still ongoing. We periodically see different, even contradictory, proposals from the IOC. Either you have to sign the letter, or you don’t, or you have to prove something, then you don’t… There is also a difficulty in this.

I think we are obliged to respect the opinions of the athletes and the federations who decided to go to the Olympic Games, as well as the decisions of those who decided not to go. We do not have the right to prohibit already qualified children from participating in the Games. They are preparing for the Olympic Games and have decided to participate. This does not mean that they will be considered traitors. No. I think they are our citizens, our athletes. We will want them to perform well, we will care and support them. We will also respect the decisions of federations and athletes who decide not to participate in the Olympic Games. “We understand this position,” Svishchev told .

The IOC announced in December 2023 that it would grant Russian athletes who successfully qualified for the 2024 Olympics individual neutral status without national symbols. On March 19, it was announced that Russian athletes would not be able to participate in the opening ceremony of the Games. The IOC also said that, according to the most likely scenario, 36 Russian athletes will participate in the 2024 Olympic Games and will have to sign a special document. Athletes’ compliance with the conditions for admission to neutral status will be determined by the commission.

The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024.

Source : MatchTV

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