Commented by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Maria Zakharova “Sports Express” Latvia condemns the decision of the Seimas ban athletes will compete with the national teams of Russia and Belarus.
“This is a manifestation of racism, ethnically based hatred. Nazism in its purest form,” said Zakharova.
According to the amendments adopted by the Sejm to the Sports Code, the ban will also apply if Russian and Belarusian athletes perform under a neutral flag. In addition, Latvia will not be able to organize competitions of adult and youth teams in team sports, and Russian and Belarusian teams will be allowed to participate in all statuses.
On January 15, Latvian MPs appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron with a request that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be allowed to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris.
The Latvian side evaluated that the decision taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on December 8 to accept Russian athletes to the 2022 Games was irresponsible and should not be supported. Therefore, Latvia called on France to take appropriate measures to prevent Russian athletes from participating in the event.
Previously figure skater Valieva for the first time seen publicly after disqualification.