Maria Chaadaeva found it difficult to say whether Russians should compete at the Olympics
Former Russian freestyle skier Maria Chaadaeva assessed the possibility of the country’s representatives participating in the Olympic Games in a neutral status. She spoke out in an interview with Lenta.ru.
The athlete emphasized that she has never performed without the flag and anthem, so it is difficult for her to say whether it is worth doing. “On the one hand, you spend your whole life preparing for international competitions, training, so it’s a pity to voluntarily give up competing, you need to take advantage of every opportunity,” she noted.
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At the same time, Chaadaeva remembered how proud she was of belonging to Russia at the competition. “Now it’s as if it’s not clear what to act for. But I would like to emphasize that I do not have a definite answer to this question,” she noted.
Chaadaeva is a silver medalist at the Freestyle Ski Cross World Cup. The athlete was supposed to compete at the 2014 Games in Sochi, but during training on the Olympic track, she suffered a spinal fracture as a result of a fall. The freestyler’s lower body was left paralyzed and she had to end her career.
In December 2023, the IOC decided to admit Russians and Belarusians to 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 2024 Games. In addition, representatives of team sports will miss the tournament.
Source: Lenta
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
