Olympic cross-country ski champion Veronica Stepanova in a column on , she expressed doubts about the advisability of representatives of the Russian kayak and canoe team to go to the Olympic Games in Paris without technical personnel.
Wednesday, Russian canoeists Alexey Korovachkov And Ivan Shtyl won first place in the 500m canoe doubles final at the 2024 Olympic Games qualifying tournament
— My particular attention is now focused on kayaking and canoeing. It is a little difficult for me to understand why Russian rowing does not participate in the selections, while the kayakers and canoeists decided to participate, but that is their business.
Why am I interested in this particular sport now? Rowing, like skiing, is a technical sport, in this sense we are close to it. Can someone explain clearly: are trainers, doctors, masseurs and equipment preparers also allowed in Paris? And not just any ones, but precisely those necessary for victory. I know for sure that in our country you can immediately forget about prices if a full team of specialists does not go there. To make it easier for ski lovers to understand, here is an example: if I ran for my native Kamchatka region, in which the entire support group consists of one coach (he also prepares skis), then my chances of winning skiers from Tatarstan or Tyumen, in any race, would be zero. No matter how wonderful a person and master Kamchatka coach Dmitry Vladimirovich Borodin is, the team wins in technical sports. The athlete is just a cog within her. We won at the Beijing Olympics thanks to a well-chosen and well-played support group. My question about Paris: will there be such a group of canoeists there? Will this happen in other sports?
Otherwise, it is a form of tourism. I still don’t understand why and who needs this,” Stepanova wrote in a column on .
In April 2023, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) allowed Russians to participate in international competitions as neutral athletes. The Szeged qualifying tournament is the last chance for Russians to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11. The IOC will grant Russian athletes successfully qualified for the 2024 Games individual neutral status without a flag, anthem or other national symbol. Stepanova believes that in current conditions Russian athletes should not participate in the Olympic Games.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
