"No need to be embarrassed": Russian OIympic champion calls for tougher crackdown in the terrorist state

Four-time Olympic champion Alexander Tikhonov has called for the deprivation of citizenship and a ban on entry to Russia for athletes who have switched from Russian national teams to other countries. The former biathlete, who now lives in Belarus, called such athletes traitors who have no place in Russia.

Tikhonov said this in an interview with the R-Sport propaganda news agency. The winner of the 1968-1980 Games noted that Russians should not be shy about expressing their hatred for athletes who oppose Russia's aggression against Ukraine and other countries or want to participate in international competitions under the Russian Federation's suspension.

"I condemn the transition of Russians to other national teams. My suggestion is that those athletes who decide to play for other countries should be deprived of citizenship. Once and for all. And they should be banned from entering Russia: they are no longer our citizens. And there is no need to be ashamed of this because we can't be mocked anymore. When will we have a normal contract system? We need to sign contracts with all promising athletes," Tikhonov said.

Earlier, three-time Olympic champion in synchronized swimming Alla Shishkina said that young athletes in Russia are treated like animals during training.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Stanislava Komarova, the 2004 Olympic vice-champion in swimming, called Russian athletes who agree to participate in international tournaments in a neutral status "a disgrace".

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