Russian fencers Sergei and Violetta Bida are wanted on criminal charges. This was reported by TASS With reference to the database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Telegram channel SHOT He explains that the article charging against Sergei and Violetta Bida is called “Unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service”, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The couple moved to the United States in 2023 and have been living in California ever since, continuing their sports careers. They are registered athletes and coaches at the Fencing Masters Academy in San Jose.
According to the SHOT source, the athletes are wanted in connection with their participation in the US Championship without the permission of the Russian side, which appeared in July 2023.
In addition, two-time Olympic champion Sofia Pozdnyakova’s ex-husband Oleg Knysh and Konstantin Lokhanov, who separated from her due to her departure to America, were also allowed to participate in the US Championships. One of the criteria for the admission of athletes was refusal to support the SVO in Ukraine.
TASS reported that the Russian Fencing Federation (RFF) fired the senior coach of the men’s team, Alexander Glazunov, for participating in the US Championships without the permission of the Russian side.
In October, FFR president Ilgar Mamedov spoke about the performances of Russians abroad and the change of sports citizenship. Giving the example of Sergei Bida’s departure, he emphasized that others should not follow his example.
“I gave our guys the perspective that we are definitely not going anywhere. They have to understand that. He said: ‘If you want to go, go, I’m not holding anyone back.
Leave like a human, not like Bida did. We don’t have serfdom, but we don’t have to lie and make things up.
However, none of the men expressed a desire to change their sports citizenship.”
The FFR president said there was a meeting of 100 people at Sirius the day before and “no one mentioned” they wanted to leave.
“I understand that many people who have the opportunity want to participate in international competitions. However, they will definitely not travel at the expense of the ministry because the ministry only sponsors national team candidates. Therefore, if they want to go to competitive practices, let them do it at their own expense or at the expense of the regions,” Mamedov said in an interview. “Match TV”.
Famous sports dynasty
Bida is currently a member of the Dynamo sports community and serves in the Russian Guard with the rank of warrant officer. His wife is currently an active soldier in CSKA and an employee of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Sergei Bida is an epee fencer, silver medalist in the team tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, three-time European champion (also in team competitions) and two-time medalist at the World Championships (silver in individual competitions and bronze in 2020). team epee).
Violetta Bida (née Khrapina) won a silver medal in team epee at the 2019 World Championships and also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but did not win any medals there.
Sergei Bida is a representative of a famous sports dynasty.
His grandmother, Valentina Rastvorova, a native of Odessa, was the champion of the 1960 Olympic Games, five-time world champion and multiple champion of the USSR in foil fencing.
The athlete’s mother is Elena Grishina, foil fencer, international master of sports, champion of the USSR and Russia, winner of the World and European Championships.
There are also water polo players in Bida’s family. His grandfather, Boris Grishin, is the Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, silver and bronze medalist of the Olympics, many world and USSR champions. And his uncle, Evgeny Grishin, is the Olympic champion of the 1980 Games, the Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in water polo.