Russian speed skater, world record holder in 500 and 1000 meters Pavel Kulizhnikov in an interview “Match TV” He answered the question of whether he was ready to act in a neutral status.
“No, I will not perform in a neutral status. This is my topic. This is to wipe your feet on us. What if everyone entered a neutral status? Not me. Only if Vladimir Putin himself says that we should go. “In a different scenario, no,” said the athlete.
29-year-old Kulizhnikov is a five-time world champion in individual distances, a three-time world champion in the overall sprint, multiple European champion and a participant in the 2022 Olympic Games.
On October 6, an RIA Novosti source reported that there are those in the ranks of the International Skating Union (ISU) who support allowing Belarusian athletes to participate in tournaments, because there are official justifications for this. In particular, there are currently no Belarusian military personnel on Ukrainian territory.
The International Skating Union Council will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on October 6-8. The return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions will be evaluated upon appropriate recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Previously Tatyana Navka statedHe said the ISU was afraid of letting Russia in.