Double Olympic champion in biathlon Dmitry Vasiliev reacted to information from the American media that the skaters Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin became members of the United States Figure Skating Federation.
Davis and Smolkin perform in ice dancing. According to The Skating Lesson, Smolkin will play for SCNY, while Davis will play for ION.
– Well, they can only skate for the United States if they receive citizenship. Well, as coaches – you can, but as athletes?… Athletes perform under someone else’s flag. Only a coach can be impersonal, and an athlete represents a country. So I don’t understand how they can enter their federation if they are not American citizens. It may be possible, but what does it bring them then? On the other hand, Davis was born in the United States, so the procedure for obtaining citizenship here should be quick. Well, if everything is so, then the question is who does she feel, who raised her, who gave her everything – the United States or Russia?
In my opinion, this is all a question of morality. I understand the need to act. Yes, the age of an athlete is short. But now, as far as we know, even Thomas Bach is talking about our athletes being allowed to compete in a neutral status. I’m not judging anyone here at all. It’s a personal matter for everyone. But, in my opinion, now is not the time to change nationality. Of this I am absolutely convinced. When there is such instability in the world, it seems to me that it should be postponed. Also, there are rules. If our sports federation does not officially transfer, then, according to the law, they will have to be quarantined for two years, and after two years they will become free artists. So here, everything depends on the will of the FFKKR to let them go – to give them such authorization or not.
My opinion is that they could wait a year or two and wait, like everyone else. There won’t be an Olympics anytime soon. I’m sure the whole story won’t last more than a year, and then everything will fall into place. And, it seems to me, the conditions will be better for us,” Vasiliev told .
Source : MatchTV
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