President of the All-Russian Swimming Federation Vladimir Salnikov called the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) conditions for admitting Russian athletes a mockery.
Earlier, the All Sport agency, citing its sources, reported that the IOC took the conditions for the formation of a “refugee team” as the basis for the principle of admitting Russian athletes to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Earlier, the IOC announced that Russians could only be admitted to the Games in neutral status under certain conditions and only in individual sports.
– There is a lot of talk about the performance of the Russian team in the 2024 Olympics. Someone says that it is impossible to boycott, because the IOC and those who influence them are just waiting for that. Someone thinks we should declare a boycott and show our strength. What principle do you follow?
— I think that the conditions of participation must be acceptable to all. If they are absurd, you have more to lose than to gain. The top of the pyramid is the Olympic movement and the Olympic Games, they have been built for more than 100 years and have acquired universal stature, it has become a landmark event, and climbing the Olympic podium is an ideal for an athlete . Now it is being destroyed by those who are called to take further steps. Sorry, if they destroy their own building, no one will enter it.
– The main thing is not to give a reason to think that Russia will not go to the Games?
So far no one has said anything. If the doors close and you have to crawl through the crack in some mysterious way, then it’s just a mockery. Either the doors open and everything is clear to everyone, or they close. Now they are closing,” Salnikov told a correspondent on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
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Source : MatchTV
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