Deputy Zhurova said that Russians will be provoked at the 2024 Olympics
First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Olympic speed skating champion Svetlana Zhurova, named the risks for Russian athletes who decided to go to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Her words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
“There may also be provocations. There will be a nervous atmosphere. They need to keep an eye on everything – God forbid they mixed something in or planted something,” Zhurova said. She added that the pressure on domestic athletes would be enormous, and the French side would not be able to be friendly to them.
In April 2024, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov recalled that Vladimir Putin said that athletes themselves decide to participate in the Olympics. He emphasized that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) promised not to force domestic athletes to sign papers against the Russian authorities.
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
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