Swimmer Somov: “I read that Russians would be booed at the Olympics. I have never experienced anything like that, I always told everyone where I came from.

Swimmer Evgeny Somov said he had not been discriminated against by Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics.

On Thursday, Somov failed to qualify for the 50-meter freestyle, posting a total time of 44th in the preliminary heats (23.43). Sixteen athletes with the fastest times advanced to the semifinals.

“Everyone I spoke to was waiting for our people to come.” I read comments that they were booing us out there when we came out. I’ve never had anything like that before. I always told everyone where I was from. People from the IOC come up and thank me for coming. Same person as everyone else. It’s not like he (IOC President Thomas Bach) is sitting there: “We shouldn’t let them in, they can’t live in the village.” That problem is still being solved at a slightly different level. I have no complaints about that.

— Do you want to go to the Olympics as a member of the national team in four years?

“I don’t know how it will all develop; no one writes from the federation. I don’t know whether they want to communicate with me or not. I discussed the record issue with Sergei Zhilkin, asked about the neutral status, he wished me good luck. My coach in Russia said that I was causing a sensation. I roughly understand what it is about,” the correspondent reports.

The games in Paris will take place from July 26 to August 11. All Russian athletes will compete in a neutral status.

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