Russian rowers prepared political declarations before the World Cup: they refused to participate

World Rowing did not make changes: the executive committee decided so

In June, the International Rowing Federation (World Rowing) allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the World Rowing Championships in a neutral status. Not everyone, only those who compete in singles and twos without a coxswain. But they will not go to the World Youth Championship in Bulgaria, which starts on July 19. Refused themselves because of the proposed declarations.

The World Youth Championship in rowing, in which athletes under 23 take part, will be held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from July 19 to 23. Any start today, especially of such a level, especially for young people, is worth its weight in gold. But, alas, we continue to lose tournaments.

Missing competitions by our athletes, despite the admission to them from the international federations, have already happened. Somewhere the host did not give a visa. A more sophisticated option is to issue a visa almost on the opening days of the tournament. And the most straightforward one is the lack of permission from the parent organization, which has the right to interpret the recommendations of the IOC as it pleases.

World Rowing seems to have allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the World Rowing Championships in a neutral status. And our federation had a dialogue with the international federation. But then the decision followed: you have the right to compete in the championships, but for the minimum number of athletes. Singles and twos without coxswain, no fours and eights. That is, units from the entire team.

And now there are also declarations that the International Rowing Federation came up with, and the units admitted to the starts are required to sign them before the World Youth Championship. But they won’t sign.

The President of the Russian Rowing Federation, Alexei Svirin, believes that athletes are being forced to confirm: they never had, do not have and will not have anything to do with the events taking place. The Federation is sure that in this way they are required to make a statement of a political nature, and this is not in accordance with the Olympic Charter. In addition, athletes are invited in a neutral status, “that is, they act, in fact, for themselves, they do not belong to any state,” what is the logic?

The leadership of the FGSR, having studied the form of the declaration, offered its own version, worked out with lawyers. And he made a proposal to the international federation to correct the text of the declaration. Svirin says that even in the dialogues of World Rowing she constantly referred to the IOC, but noted that not all the requirements of the IOC can be applied, they will be selective. Our side explained that some requirements may, in addition to everything, contradict Russian legislation. But the international federation, apparently, did not hear these words or did not want to hear them. The response received to the proposal for adjustment was laconic: the Executive Committee made a decision, there will be no changes.

After that, the FGSR Presidium recommended that athletes not sign the declaration in the version proposed by World Rowing. Athletes and coaches, according to the president, supported this position. A refusal to participate in the U23 World Championship was sent to the international federation.

And, apparently, this will be the first, but not the last refusal of our rowers: at the next competitions, the declaration will obviously be the same. And the list of competitions to which our rowers are admitted, World Rowing has published along with permission to perform. These are: the same World Championship in rowing under 23 in Bulgaria, which will already be held without us; World Rowing Championship U19 (France); World Rowing Championship (Serbia); the world championship in rowing on the coast and the final of the beach sprint (Italy).