Olympic cross-country skiing champion Veronika Stepanova said that she was communicating with the Norwegian media in order to convey the position of the Russian athletes.
Why am I wasting time talking to Norwegian tabloids? The same ones who did not differ in objectivity before, and who have recently become instruments of hatred towards Russia? Because there is a struggle for minds, including Norwegians, and we have to win it. The sooner ordinary, normal people there realize that we live nearby, that we won’t disappear, that we won’t fly to Mars, and that a wall of lies cannot separate us from us, the better for everyone,” Stepanova wrote. in the Telegram channel.
The day before, the Norwegian edition of Dagbladet published a new interview with Stepanova, in which the skier spoke about the support of fans and athletes in Scandinavia.
– I received words of support from athletes and fans in Scandinavia, but there was also hatred and provocations. Let’s say that my contacts with colleagues and other people involved in the ski world have never ceased.
I want to emphasize that we never asked to be allowed back on the international scene. We have been asking for it since we were illegally banned from competition at the beginning of March. We demand it because it is our absolute right.
Political differences cannot and should not prevent athletes from competing against each other. I am glad that more and more people around the world, including sports officials, view the ban on Russian athletes as morally wrong and hypocritical. We should be allowed to return to international competitions, and we will be,” Stepanova said in an interview with Dagbladet.
The 21-year-old skier noted that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict did not lead to consequences and bans in the sport.
– If someone wants to boycott me on the ski slopes, it should be their personal decision. But then again, I believe that international sport does not allow boycotts, even on the contrary, for example, Israeli athletes. We Russians should be treated the same as Israelis, no better and no worse,” Stepanova added.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) followed the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee in March and suspended Russians from competitions due to the situation in Ukraine until the end of the season. In July, the ban was extended. The head of the Russian Ski Racing Federation, Elena Vyalbe, said the FIS is expected to make a decision on the admission of Russian athletes in early October.
Source : MatchTV
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