The head of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, President of the Russian Curling Federation Dmitry Svishchev, said that the uncertainty about the admission of Russian athletes to the Olympic Games can adversely affect their psychological state. He noticed that all athletes expressed their readiness to participate in competitions. Svishchev also noted that it is impossible to refuse the opportunity to speak at the Games.
“Can this uncertainty affect our athletes psychologically? Of course it can. And an even bigger negative impact is that athletes in the current situation don’t understand whether they will compete, whether they will be allowed to compete. Not a single athlete said he wasn’t ready, everyone wants to participate. All of them represent the Russian Federation, members of the national team. There are problems with the flag, but for the athletes, fans, parents, coaches and clubs, the most important thing right now is to let our athletes go.
Many shout hysterically: let’s not go to competitions, our pride has been trampled on … But our athletes with their victories will bring much more glory and benefit to our country than if they themselves were banned and did not go to the world championships, the Olympics. Games and other competitions. We will lose an entire generation of athletes. The loudest shouters don’t understand that many athletes are negotiating to move to other countries right now – it’s going to be scary. Will all our developments that we’ve been working on for decades go to other countries? “We must do everything we can to bring our athletes back to the international sports arena,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the head of the organization, Thomas Bach, did not rule out that Russian athletes may be allowed to participate in the 2024 Olympics in neutral status. This proposal was supported by the US National Olympic Committee.
Recall that at the end of February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made an appeal to international sports federations and advised not to allow domestic and Belarusian athletes to participate in any competitions.
On January 25, the IOC announced that it was considering the possibility of allowing neutral Russian athletes who did not support a special operation in Ukraine to participate in international competitions.
formerly Svishchev declarationHe said the IOC should have a clear position if Russia announces that Ukraine will boycott the Olympics if it is accepted.
Source: Gazeta
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.