'They won't let me in there': Russian rival of Kharlan turned down the 2024 Olympics

Two-time Olympic champion Sofia Velikaya has announced that she will not compete at the 2024 Games in the French capital of Paris. The Russian saber fencer, who is one of the main rivals of Ukrainian Olga Harlan, complained that she was "not allowed to go there."

Velikaya said this in a commentary to the propaganda TV channel Match TV. The 38-year-old fencer of the Moscow-based CSKA, whose representatives are banned from competing because of their affiliation with the criminal Russian Armed Forces, plans to compete in the so-called Friendship Games.

"I had a goal to perform at the Paris Olympics, but I'm not allowed to go there. Now my goal is the Friendship Games and the BRICS Games. We have the strongest girls in the country in sabre, and the qualifiers are tough. It's a challenge for me, I want to go this way and complete the Olympic cycle in our country with our competitions," said Velikaya.

It should be noted that the Friendship Games will be organized by order of dictator Vladimir Putin and will take place after the 2024 Olympics. Ukrainians have been cynically invited to compete in Russia.

Kharlan received a personal invitation to the Paris Olympics from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after being disqualified from the 2023 World Cup because she refused to shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova. This decision caused a real hysteria in Russia.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov accused Olga Harlan of a wave of "hatred and threats" against the Russian after the World Cup scandal.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!