Two-time world curling champion Anastasia Bryzgalova has complained of discrimination due to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) requirements for Russian athletes to compete. She called it a horrific situation when she was afraid to mention the name of the aggressor country in an interview during her performances at the Pyeongchang Games.

Bryzgalova said this in an interview with Sport-Express. She expressed confidence that Russian athletes would not accept the IOC's conditions and would not agree to condemn the war in Ukraine and compete in international tournaments in a neutral status.

"From my experience, I can say that when you come to the Olympic Games and in every interview you are afraid of accidentally saying the word 'Russia', it is disgusting. That is, you filter your speech so much that you cannot say what your country is called. It was a terrible experience, and I definitely wouldn't want to repeat it. You feel like a black sheep - everyone is walking around with their flags and anthems, and you feel like you're marked. And the conditions that are being set now - I don't think any athlete will agree to them, it's a betrayal of their country," said the athlete, who was stripped of her PyeongChang 2018 Olympic medal after a doping scandal.

Earlier, Bryzgalova called the IOC's demands that Russian athletes condemn the war in Ukraine nonsense. To recap, the IOC recommended that international federations suspend Russian athletes who are affiliated with the Russian army and law enforcement agencies, as well as team sports.

In response, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) did not nominate Russia for the 2024 Olympics and also suspended the Russian national team from the 2025 European Championships.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the IOC has issued a new statement on Ukraine's boycott of competitions that will include athletes from Russia and Belarus.

Only verified information is available in our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!