Double Olympic medalist swimmer Kliment Kolesnikov on , he said he was not considering going to the 2024 Games under the current International Olympic Committee (IOC) conditions, but would consider participating if it was important for Russia.
In late 2023, the IOC announced it would allow Russian athletes who successfully qualified for the Olympics to have individual neutral status without a flag, anthem or other national symbol. The IOC also banned the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO.
— The last two years have been the most brutal for Russian sport. For you personally, when was the peak, when was it the most difficult?
— For me, as an athlete with goals, there was no time when it was difficult for me, that bothered me. The only problem is that emotionally, there aren’t enough international departures. Our guys and I all know each other. We get used to everything, the light is lacking. But based on the results, we are swimming beautifully and setting records.
— How important is a world record to you in such a situation?
— Important both for himself and for the country. Setting world records is something I do regularly. But we still have guys: Zhenya Chikunova, juniors, they win prizes. Based on the results of the tournaments, we compare (the results) with the World Championship. Should we sit down and be silent?
— How did you feel after February 2022, when Russian athletes started to be banned?
“I didn’t think then that they would go after the athletes.” For each sport, everything is closed in terms of schedules and access to information. We worked to a tight schedule. Everyone knew everything and understood that we would be suspended, like in 2016 before the Olympics. This is the first time I have encountered this, and my position has not stabilized. This is simply unpleasant, wrong and unfair. Sport should be outside of politics.
— When did you realize you weren’t going to the Olympics?
— I think that’s when the very first document containing sanctions came out, which explained what had to be done to obtain neutrality status. I immediately realized that I wouldn’t go. The conditions did not suit me.
— Have you consulted anyone?
– Yes, I discussed it. The situation changed every day. They said they could change something and then we would go to the Games. There were two positions: that I did not want to go there in such conditions and that if it was important for the country that the athlete participated, then I would think about it. “I discussed it with the guys and my personal trainer,” Kolesnikov said on .
Kolesnikov is the world record holder in the 50 meter backstroke and a six-time short course world champion.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11.
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Source : MatchTV
I’m John White and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. My specialty is covering sports news, which I’ve been doing for over 6 years now. During this time, I have worked as an author with Athletistic, a popular online news website focusing on sports topics.
