The pride of the fencing world Velikaya, Pozdnyakova, Egoryan received a ban on the profession

The International Fencing Federation did not allow titled athletes to start

The Russian Fencing Federation, in accordance with the recommendations of the IOC, sent lists of athletes to the FIE for admission to international starts. Candidates were studied by special commissions. They compared the official place of work – that is, belonging to a particular organization, statements in social networks. And now the answer has been received: there are no athletes known to the world in the lists of Russians admitted to international starts.

Are there any other illusions? When the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee named the necessary criteria for the return of Russian athletes: individual admission, neutral status, a ban on participation in team sports, a ban on participation in competitions of athletes associated with law enforcement agencies or expressing support for the SVO, there were still illusions. Facts, as you know, can be interpreted in different ways.

But today, the recommendations of the IOC on the return of our athletes to international starts are already in action. And so they look in the performance of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). The one that made the decision on the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes from mid-April, even before the official announcement of the IOC on the admission criteria.

The FIE just did not allow Olympic champions Sofia Velikaya, Yana Yegoryan, Sofia Pozdnyakova, Elena Nikitina, multiple world champion Veniamin Reshetnikov, two-time world champion Kamil Ibragimov to participate in competitions … As President of the Russian Fencing Federation Ilgar Mammadov said in a comment to TASS, FIE sent a list saber fencers who can be admitted to international competitions. It does not include the listed stars of world fencing and “many other promising strong guys.” And in general: “there are no surnames familiar to the world in it.”

But there is an explanation: the organization is acting in accordance with the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee, the FIE office is “not authorized” to comment on anything else. In accordance with these recommendations of the IOC, the Russian Fencing Federation sent lists of athletes for admission to the FIE. Candidates were studied by specialists of independent commissions. They compared the official place of work – that is, belonging to a particular organization, statements in social networks.

Ilgar Mammadov says that lists for admission in foil and epee, as well as permission for doctors, trainers and other specialists, should now come. And after receiving all the lists, the fencers will hold a general meeting: what to do next. “I’m not going to divide the Russian national team into good and bad, good and bad,” says Mammadov.

But the International Fencing Federation has already divided, having shot at itself. Yana Yegoryan – two-time Olympic champion in Rio (individual and team tournaments), two-time world champion, Sofia Pozdnyakova won the gold of the Tokyo Olympic Games in individual and team tournaments, two-time world champion, Sofia Velikaya – two-time Olympic champion in the team (in Rio – de Janeiro and Tokyo), three times silver medalist in individual tournaments, eight-time world champion.

While the Russian Fencing Federation is waiting for the final lists for all types. At the moment, our athletes have already missed six stages of the Olympic qualification.