Karelin appreciated the need for Russian athletes to participate in the Olympics

Member of the Federation Council and three-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Alexander Karelin, in a conversation with Lenta.ru, assessed the need for Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

According to him, athletes who have gone through “a discriminatory, tendentious series of unacceptable demands” and won Olympic licenses must take part in competitions, unless this is accompanied by demands to renounce Russia, its citizenship and victorious history, or other devoid of common sense, trampling ethical standards and requirements.

He believes that the decision on the participation of athletes should be made by the Ministry of Sports, the Russian Olympic Committee and sports federations.

“Yes, we were deprived of a very important competitive practice. Yes, hostile people are developing equipment for our athletes and dealing with accommodation issues. Nevertheless, those who have won licenses must participate in the Games and make every effort to demonstrate our best qualities, including the will to win,” Karelin concluded.

Earlier, the IOC stated that they would not force Russians wishing to compete at the Olympics to condemn the SVO in Ukraine. Representatives of the country will be allowed to compete without a flag and anthem.

In December last year, it became known that Russian and Belarusian athletes who support a special operation in Ukraine, as well as those who have connections with the armed forces or security agencies of countries, will miss the Games. In addition, there will be no representatives of team sports from Russia and Belarus in Paris.