Russian world champion complains about Russians who "force him to sacrifice his life"

Russian biathlete Alexander Povarnitsyn has criticised those politicians, experts and fans who oppose the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympics in a neutral status. The world junior relay champion complained that such people do not think about the fate of athletes, forcing them to "sacrifice their lives".

Povaritsyn said this in an interview with Metaratings.ru. According to him, he hopes to compete at the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy, even if he has to participate without the flag and anthem. At the same time, he spoke ambiguously about the declaration of neutral athletes, which should condemn the war in Ukraine.

"We will represent our country in any case. Whether we will be forced to recant and sign any papers is another matter. I want the entire radical public, who believe that going without the flag and anthem is a disgrace to the country, to understand that for us this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. You have been working towards this all your life and you should not sacrifice it because of the events that are happening now. In fact, you are being forced to sacrifice your life," said the biathlete, who is a member of CSKA.

Earlier, the president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF), Maxim Agapitov, called the 2024 Olympics in Paris fake.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Olympic champion Mikhail Mamiashvili, speaking of a "superior race," demanded that Russian athletes be allowed to participate in the 2023 World Championships in wrestling without additional conditions.

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