Stanislav Pozdnyakov on fencing scandal: IOC criteria – thinly veiled suspension

“The Russian Olympic family is having a moment of difficult choice”

The International Fencing Federation did not allow Olympic champions Sofia Velikaya, Yana Yegoryan, Sofia Pozdnyakova, Olga Nikitina, multiple world champion Veniamin Reshetnikov, two-time world champion Kamil Ibragimov to participate in competitions … FIE sent a list of saber fencers who are allowed to participate in international starts to the Russian Fencing Federation . It does not include the listed stars of world fencing and “many other promising strong guys.”

Stanislav Pozdnyakov, ROC president, four-time Olympic champion, is convinced that the example of the International Fencing Federation is a farce, which is the parameters of the “return” of Russians and Belarusians to the international arena. The Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee, as you know, recommended that international federations allow Russians to start individually, in a neutral status, without participating in team events, excluding the participation of athletes associated with law enforcement agencies.

The IOC, Pozdnyakov is sure, imposes such criteria under which the participation of the vast majority of our athletes and almost all leaders of national teams in the selection for the Olympics and other competitions is unrealistic in practice. “This is, in essence, a toolkit of thinly veiled suspension, not to mention the discrimination and double standards that are still applied on a national basis.”

The President of the ROC believes that now the Russian Olympic family is facing a moment of difficult choice, to which they are being pushed by “colleagues from Lausanne.”

Stanislav Pozdnyakov has repeatedly discussed with the members of the fencing team the proposed return format. And I am sure that none of them have considered and are not considering the option of playing at international tournaments under the existing restrictions. “The position is unanimous – our fencers will participate only if they have equal rights with athletes from other countries, without far-fetched and illegal parameters and other artificial obstacle courses.”

The President of the Russian Fencing Federation, Ilgar Mammadov, says that a list of 24 people was submitted to check compliance with the criteria put forward, 11 received permission to start. And he emphasizes: the fencers no longer doubt that the main athletes of the Russian national team are on the following lists (for foil and épée) will not be.