Double Olympic champion in biathlon Olga Zaitseva on the air of the program “There is a theme” on “”, said that Russian athletes should not go to the Olympic Games without a flag and an anthem.
In March 2023, the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international federations, if Russians are allowed to start, do so individually, in a neutral status, without participating in team events, and also exclude participation athletes. associated with law enforcement and expressing their support for the SVO. The decision on the direct admission of Russians to the 2024 Games in Paris will be taken separately.
– Under what conditions should we go to the Games? Flag, anthem?
– I think that without a flag and without an anthem you should not go there. After Sochi 2014, we were accused of doping, our people went to neutral status at the next Games. And now we are accused of what? We have no violations. It was possible to understand something about doping at the time, but what about now? You can’t ride without a flag and an anthem.
They can say that I have already participated in the Olympics, but someone only now has the chance to go there for the first time. But now everyone in the world has turned their back on us. After Sochi, they increasingly turned their backs on us. And we should no longer follow their example, accept their conditions. Let them compete without us.
We have to make our own starts, and we do. We invite all countries to participate. Who wants to come. Our athletes have the opportunity to compete. They receive the same bonuses we received for international departures.
The same athletes who did not enter the national team, with collections, participate. Our material base is growing. It’s a plus for our sport. We need to see these benefits. Athletes don’t have to worry about not going to the Olympic Games. Yes, without world stars, ours will be in competition. But our athletes are also world stars.
Who should decide such questions?
– We belong to the federation. Athletes – workers who run on the track must do their job well. The leadership should be with us, we should not be offended. A collective decision must be made,” Zaitseva said on .
In May, the chairperson of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) Athletes’ Commission, former American biathlete Claire Egan, said that “there is a clear position of the athletes and the decision of the Congress of the IBU, which will not change as long as the situation in Ukraine changes.” In September, the IBU voted to remove Russia and Belarus from international tournaments.
Source : MatchTV
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