“Unauthorized abandonment of service”
On December 26, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation added the family of fencers Sergei and Violetta Bida to an international wanted list. The couple, who left Russia for the United States in the summer of 2023, aimed to compete for the Stars and Striped uniform. Sergei is an active member of the Russian Guard, while Violetta serves as a military officer.
The charges against the athletes include unauthorized abandonment of service and violation of military oath. Under these counts, they could face up to ten years in prison.
Former Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, who is also an Olympic champion in Sydney 2000 in epee and is familiar with the Bida couple, weighed in on the situation.
“This news was anticipated. It is hard to understand what Bida was thinking. He is an adult who knew there would be a legitimate reaction. They swore an oath. If someone wishes to go abroad, that is their right in a free country, but breaking the law carries consequences,” Kolobkov stated to TASS.
Kolobkov noted that Sergei regretted the decision to move to the United States and stressed that the move disappointed teammates, leadership of the Russian Fencing Federation, and fellow athletes.
“All of this looks ugly and reckless. A person must stay humane. Sergei is 30, a seasoned Olympic medalist. Now the authorities may seek his arrest and extradition in any country. The law applies to everyone. If military service is fulfilled, resign or be discharged. It was a shock to many and feels like a betrayal to friends and loved ones. In time, sobriety will return,” Kolobkov added.
Reports indicated that Bida belonged to Dynamo Moscow and was attached to the Russian Guard with the rank of ensign. His wife represented CSKA Moscow and also held a military position.
CSKA’s vice president for military-political work, Svetlana Ishmuratova, told Match TV that the athlete was expelled from the army club in October 2023.
Olympic silver
Bida, formerly Khrapina, is no longer considered a CSKA representative and appears unlikely to remain in the Russian Armed Forces. The couple did move abroad during the summer while Bida joined the army club.
Sergei Bida earned a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of the Russian epee squad. The team’s run remains notable for Russia’s strong performance, with Bida playing a pivotal role in victories over Italy in the quarterfinals and China in the semifinals.
In the final, Japan defeated Russia, but the silver marked the first podium for Russia’s men’s epee team in 25 years and the first for an epee fencer in 16 years. Bida also placed second in the individual event, defeating Jaisser Ramirez of the USA in the opening round before bowing out to a higher-seeded opponent in the quarterfinals. France’s Romain Cannon eventually claimed the title.
Violetta Bida, a member of the ROC team, fell to the Italians in the epee team quarterfinals and did not participate in the individual event.
Victories in Russia and flight to the USA
After a series of statements, the couple asserted their goal was to compete at the Paris Games in 2024 and perform strongly there.
“Today I am driven by a strong aim to return to the Olympic stage and win gold, a victory I would dedicate to my grandmother,” Sergei Bida said. His family includes prominent Russian athletes, and his grandmother Valentina Rasvorova is an Olympic champion in fencing.
Last summer, Sergei Bida captured individual gold at the Spartakiad, and in March 2023 the pair competed at the World Cup, joining participants from several countries in the event, including Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Iraq, Lebanon, Serbia and Vietnam.
However, in June, Sergei and Violetta Bida left Russia for the United States without informing the Russian Fencing Federation.
Their departure cost Alexander Glazunov his position as head coach of the epee team, with the federation citing the athletes’ move without permission as the reason for his dismissal.
Glazunov stated that he had not yet decided on his next steps and had not spoken with the Bida couple since April, prior to the Russian Championship.
“The goal is to race for Team USA.”
Sergei Bida took part in the US Championship, which triggered criminal proceedings. Violetta, who works as a children’s coach with her husband and remains a professional athlete, is not competing currently due to pregnancy.
Other skaters like Konstantin Lokhanov and Oleg Knysh had competed in the US Championship as well, but Bida won the tournament, becoming the United States champion.
“In Russia I was removed from the payroll and the national team. I was blacklisted there. It happened because someone disliked a video I posted,” Violetta commented in a video interview following the move.
Sergei added, “My goal right now is to compete in the Olympic Games for the USA team.”
Glazunov told TASS that Bida is training in California, at a San Jose club, and competing in the US Championship in a neutral status. He added that Bida’s path to Olympic eligibility remains uncertain.
Alexander Tikhonov, a renowned Soviet biathlete and four-time Olympic champion, called the Bidas traitors to the country, suggesting they be stripped of citizenship rather than placed on a wanted list.
“Betrayal is a fitting word for this situation,” Tikhonov told RIA Novosti.