Zhurova: Macron may support Latvia’s call to exclude Russians from the 2024 Games
First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Olympic champion in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova appreciated Latvia’s call to remove Russians from the 2024 Games. Her words are quoted by TASS.
According to Zhurova, French President Emmanuel Macron can support Latvia’s initiative and not allow Russians to attend the Olympics. “Macron will probably consult with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on this issue. We initially said that athletes could go through all the filters, abandon their homeland, sign some papers, but in the end Macron would not let them in, citing the appeal of a number of countries,” she noted.
Earlier, the Latvian Seimas appealed to Macron and demanded that Russians not be allowed to attend the Olympics. It was noted that some Latvian athletes are ready to boycott competitions in Paris if neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus participate in it.
On December 8, the IOC allowed Russians and Belarusians to participate in the Olympics in Paris. They will be able to take part in the tournament as individual neutral athletes. At the same time, athletes who support a special operation in Ukraine, or who have connections with the armed forces or security agencies of Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate in the Games. Representatives of team sports will also miss the tournament.
Source: Lenta
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