"I've made up my mind": Ukrainian Olympic fencing champion tells about boycott against Russians

Ukrainian fencer Yuliia Bakastova will not boycott fights against Russian athletes at international tournaments. The Paris 2024 Olympic champion in the team sabre tournament noted that representatives of the aggressor country should not stand in the way of our compatriots' main goal of representing the blue and yellow flag with dignity.

Bakastova said this in an interview with the "Svidomi" portal. The 28-year-old Kyiv resident also criticized the admission of Russians to international tournaments, noting that all Ukrainian fencers decided to refuse to shake hands with their Russian rivals in protest.

"The Russians are doing well. They have airplanes flying, while our athletes take 2-3 days to get from Ukraine to the competition. This is very tiring and exhausting for athletes who need to get to the start of the competition and show their best. I decided for myself that I needed to fence because these people are doing so many bad things for our country, and our people. Why should these people stand in my way of achieving my goal of representing myself and Ukraine with dignity? But we will not shake hands with Russians and show our respect for them as athletes," Bakastova said.

Earlier, two-time Olympic fencing champion Yana Yegoryan foolishly called for the return of representatives of the aggressor country to international competitions and to maintain friendly relations with them.

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