Russian tennis players, regardless of their position, must participate in the Paris Olympics if they have the opportunity, Honored Master of Sports of Russia Andrei Chesnokov told .
Earlier, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov said that he does not see a single potential participant in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris among Russian athletes.
– Let’s not take an athlete, let’s take a writer. Let’s say he wrote the book for four years. I’ve written and written and now I have to publish it. But suddenly people from the authorities came and said, “You know, we’re going to throw her into the fire.” » I believe that in this situation there are athletes, and we must start from their opinion, from their desire, and not from the words of any political figure. Therefore, I believe that you must go and perform against all odds. For the same gymnasts, shooters, rowers, wrestlers, etc., the Olympic Games are the tournament of a lifetime, it is the greatest thing that can happen in a career. Since childhood, a person has been preparing to participate in this tournament. And if there’s even the slightest chance of performing in Paris, you have to go. What should they do next but go to the Games? Drink, do drugs, hang yourself? I think athletes should not be punished.
“But unlike rowers and wrestlers, tennis players always participate in large, prestigious tournaments. Are the Olympics still a motivation for them?
— As you remember, our tennis players not only participated in the last Olympic Games, but also won medals. Notably, Rublev and Pavlyuchenkova won the gold medal. It seems to me that in tennis it is very prestigious to win an Olympic medal, regardless of its value, ”Chesnokov told the correspondent.
At the end of March 2023, the IOC announced recommendations regarding the individual admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. Recommendations include a neutral status, banning participation in team sports, and banning the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO.
Source : MatchTV
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