French biathlete Martin Fourcade shared his opinion on the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the competition. Franc Jeux.
“I firmly believe that we should allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete,” said Fourcade.
Fourcade also noted that the suspension of athletes because of their passports or nationality is discriminatory and goes against the core values of the sport.
Recall that at the end of February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a call to international sports federations and recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be allowed 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, Olympic champion in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova statedHe said that the BRICS Summer Games will be interesting for the participation of Russian athletes.