Russian epee fencer Sergei Lokhanov plans to compete as part of the U.S. team at the 2024 Olympic Games. America Today.
According to the publication, Lokhanov and his wives Konstantin and Violetta Bida benefit from the support of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the United States Fencing Federation. Both organizations wrote letters of support.
To compete for the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games, epee fencers must obtain appropriate citizenship. Attorney Jack Wiener, who represents the fencers, said he and his fellow legal counsel have begun working with senators and congressional representatives. The Senate and House of Representatives will need to pass a bill granting fencers U.S. citizenship, and President Joe Biden will need to sign it.
Lokhanov is a four-time world junior champion saber fencer. She is the daughter of Stanislav Pozdnyakov, former husband of two-time Olympic champion Sofia Pozdnyakova and president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). The couple has had an officially registered relationship since September 2020. At the beginning of SVO in February 2022, Lokhanov was receiving treatment in Germany, then left for the USA and never returned to Russia. In September 2022, Pozdnyakova decided to divorce.
Sergei and Violetta Bida are wanted. They face up to ten years in prison. Epee fencers, consisting of active officers of the Russian Guard and active military personnel, participated in the US Championship without the permission of the Russian side. Bida stated Her husband plans to compete at the Games in 2024, but she will miss the tournament due to pregnancy, USA Today said.
Formerly the swordsman Bida’s grandfather saidHis grandson received a job offer from the USA.