Wheelchair fencing world champion Roman Fedyaev considers the performance of Russian athletes under a neutral flag or their change of citizenship a betrayal. A native of Moscow, who previously played for Kazakhstan and then returned to the Russian national team, added that the decision to participate in the 2024 Games in Paris will be made by dictator Vladimir Putin.
Fedyaev stated this in an interview with the News.ru portal. He noted that he received many offers to move to some other national team, but the fencer did not refuse them, but simply named excessive financial requirements.
“I constantly receive offers from different countries, but I don’t go. I name such a price tag that everyone refuses. Probably, you can call me a quilted jacket, I love my country, I grew up here, fell in love, got married, divorced! This is my country. I don’t sports whore to run somewhere. Especially now. Wartime, politics have changed. And you can’t just pick up and go somewhere under a neutral flag. Who will I be here then? A traitor. -2024? Everything will depend on a common decision, on what the president will say,” Fedyaev said.
Earlier, Russian athletes who received admission to the tournaments of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) refused to participate in them.
As GLOBAL HAPPENINGS reported, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), Stanislav Pozdnyakov, hinted that the Russian Federation would boycott the Games in Paris.
Source: Obozrevatel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
