Bida epee fencers did not request a change of citizenship from the Russian Fencing Federation
The Russian Fencing Federation (RFF) responded to the desire of epee fencers Sergei and Violetta Bida, who fled the country, to represent the United States at competitions. A statement from the organization’s press service is quoted by TASS.
The FFR said that the athletes did not request a change of citizenship. “During the procedure for changing sports citizenship, it is necessary to agree on the transfer of the previous citizenship from the federation. No one contacted the FFR from the US Fencing Association,” the organization noted.
Earlier it became known about the spouses’ intention to obtain American citizenship. Sergei Bida plans to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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On December 26, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs put the Bida fencers on the wanted list. They face up to ten years in prison under Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service”). At the time of his departure, Sergei Bida was listed in Dynamo Moscow and had the rank of ensign of the Russian Guard. His wife was previously a serviceman of the Ministry of Defense in the capital’s CSKA.
Sergei Bida is a silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the team epee fencing tournament. He also became the European champion three times in the team. Violetta Bida has silver medals at the World Championships and the European Championships in the team epee tournament.
Source: Lenta
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