Problems with Russian athletes’ participation in European tournaments will persist as long as political pressure from Kyiv continues. This opinion was expressed by Svetlana Zhurova, First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, in an interview with Lenta.ru.
The parliamentarian is convinced that European countries are deliberately creating obstacles for Russian athletes, including through visa barriers. She asserted that these actions are motivated by both a fear of fair competition and an unjustified concession to the Ukrainian side, which interprets any admission of Russian athletes as approval of a special military operation.
Zhurova also drew attention to the geographic factor. The deputy emphasized that international federations will not be able to physically move all major competitions outside of Europe, meaning that incidents of discrimination against Russian teams will continue in the future.
The statement by the Russian Gymnastics Federation prompted the comment. The organization reported that the national team’s leaders, as well as one of its coaches and a doctor, have still not received Croatian visas to participate in the European Championships starting in Zagreb, according to the Telegram channel “Radiotochka NSN.”