Fencers Sergei Bidu and Konstantin Lokhanov are planning to compete for the US Olympic team

The US fencing team plans to strengthen itself at the Summer Olympics in Paris with the help of famous athletes who fled from Russia. One of the best epee fencers in the world, Sergei Bida, who is wanted in the Russian Federation for leaving his place of duty without authorization, as well as saber fencer Konstantin Lokhanov, are trying to quickly obtain American citizenship. In another situation, they would not have had a chance to go to Paris due to the three-year “Olympic quarantine” provided for in such cases. However, last year the International Olympic Committee (IOC) already made it clear that it was ready to violate this principle when it allowed three Russian athletes who had changed their citizenship to compete at the Olympics, bypassing it.

The publication reported that three “elite” Russian fencers are going to compete for the US team USA Today. We are talking about Sergei Bid, his wife Violetta (she, however, will soon go on maternity leave) and Konstantin Lokhanov. Of these three, the most famous is Sergei Bida. At the turn of the last and current decades, he was the leader of the world ranking of epee fencers, won silver and bronze at world championships in individual competitions, and at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, largely thanks to him, the Russian team reached the finals, in which they lost to the Japanese. The winner of the junior world championships, Konstantin Lokhanov, who before his escape was married to the daughter of the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the famous fencer Sofia Pozdnyakova, is a strong saber fencer. He also competed in Tokyo, although without any awards.

All three left for the United States after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine: Konstantin Lokhanov – back in 2022, the Bida spouses – in 2023. At the same time, they already managed to take part in last year’s national championship of this country, but in the status of neutral athletes. And in December it became known that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation had put Mr. Bida and his wife on the wanted list for leaving their place of service without authorization. The fact is that the epee fencers were formally employees of the Russian Guard.

USA Today reported that fencers are currently trying to quickly obtain American citizenship. Their lawyer Jack Wiener clarified that its acquisition requires a corresponding decision of the US Senate and House of Representatives, then signed by President Joe Biden. And athletes are supported in this process by the country’s Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the local fencing federation (USA Fencing). Its chief executive, Phil Andrews, said in a letter to Congress that Russian fencers “risked their lives to represent our nation.”

Jack Wiener noted that the athletes had already signed documents “condemning” the special operation. In fact, by today’s standards, strictly speaking, there is nothing strange about this. The outflow of athletes from Russia against the backdrop of events in Ukraine has already become a trend.

Even according to official estimates by the sports leaders of the Russian Federation, the number of athletes who decided to change their citizenship was close to a hundred; unofficial figures are even more significant. Among those who decided to take such a step there are also quite well-known athletes, for example, figure skaters Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin, rower Anna Prakaten, wrestler Dauren Kurugliev, swimmer Anastasia Kirpichnikova, chess player Alexandra Kosteniuk. Although until recently it seemed that those who compete in Olympic sports had no chance of competing at the next Summer Olympics, which will be held in Paris this summer, due to the regulations of the International Olympic Committee. It provides for a so-called quarantine for a period of three years. This is the period of time during which an athlete who has transferred from one team to another cannot compete at the Olympics under the flag of the latter.

Meanwhile, as highlighted by USA Today, USOPC Executive Director Sarah Hirshland confirmed that the purpose of its structure is to ensure that Sergei Beede and Konstantin Lokhanov can “proudly represent our nation at the upcoming Olympic Games” if they manage to qualify for the national team. And, admittedly, Ms. Hirshland has reason for optimism.

At the end of 2023 the IOC created precedent. Contrary to his own principles, he allowed three Russian athletes who had just changed their citizenship to compete for other countries – France, Israel and Serbia – cyclists Valeria Lyubimova and Mikhail Yakovlev, as well as Greco-Roman wrestler Georgy Tibilov.

The parent sports organization explained its decision, in particular, by the sanction imposed on the ROC in the fall in the form of suspension for an indefinite period. Because of this, according to the IOC, he lost the right to impose a ban on the performance of his former athletes under other flags. So now, essentially, everything depends on the position of the relevant international federation.

At the same time, if Sergei Bida and Konstantin Lokhanov had remained in Russia, they clearly would not have ended up in Paris. In December, the IOC allowed domestic athletes to participate in the Olympics in a neutral status, but with a huge number of strict reservations, excluding, say, such a privilege for those associated with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or “national security” agencies. The practice of admitting Russians to top competitions in 2023 shows that in reality it depends on the federations’ interpretation of the IOC recommendations issued in March, which have not undergone any adjustments. And the International Fencing Federation (FIE) adhered to the most severe and direct interpretations. During the season, none of the leading Russian athletes passed through its filters.

Alexey Dospehov