Olympic champion in speed skating, State Duma Deputy Svetlana Zhurova, commented on the statement made by German Interior Minister Nancy Feather. threatening Refusal to issue visas to Russian athletes if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allows them to compete.
“I didn’t even doubt it! He said earlier that the IOC may allow us under a neutral flag, but all countries will begin to refuse visas to Russian athletes. They have the right to it.
What note are we going to write to them? Germany, like other countries, will immediately tell the IOC that athletes from Russia threaten the country’s security. The Olympic Committee itself is clean in front of us and our athletes, but these countries …
A similar situation occurred with the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The IOC granted him accreditation, but England did not allow him to enter the country. And this, for a second, is the president of the country! So Europeans may even reject it, what to say about athletes?
Now we can break everyone’s spears, start defending interests, and the result will be the same – our entry into the country will be banned and visas will not be issued. If Germany has done this now, other countries will follow.
Asian states will not follow this trend, but all of Europe will do so immediately. They will not issue visas to anyone, as we all expected, ”says Zhurova. sports24.
Recall that at the end of February 2022, the International Olympic Committee made an appeal to international sports federations and advised not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in any competitions.
At a meeting of the IOC executive committee on March 28, it was recommended that the Russians be allowed a neutral status if the athletes did not actively support the hostilities. Athletes representing law enforcement and armed forces will not be allowed to compete.
Former State Duma Deputy Irina Rodnina criticized Because the head of the German Interior Ministry threatened not to issue visas to the Russians.