Zhurova called the refusal of Russian volunteers access to the 2024 Games Russophobia
First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Olympic champion in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova assessed the refusal of Russian volunteers to enter the 2024 Olympics. She is quoted by Sport Express.
Zhurova called the Games in Paris as politicized as possible and noted the Russophobic sentiments of the host country. “They probably don’t want there to be some kind of uproar among the volunteers, protests: “Why did you take the Russians here?” Surely there will be Ukrainian volunteers there, so it will be easier for the French side to refuse our volunteers,” she suggested.
On April 30, it became known that the French authorities rejected applications for accreditation for the 2024 Olympic Games from more than 20 Russian volunteers. The volunteers later said they planned to contact French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. “We were going to work at the Olympics, not discuss politics,” one of the contenders emphasized.
The Olympic Games in Paris will take place from July 26 to August 11. Russians and Belarusians, if a number of conditions are met, will be able to compete in the individual competitions of the tournament in a neutral status.
Source: Lenta
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