Sweden decided to boycott the tournament with the Russians, but then changed its mind

The Swedish Fencing Association (SvFF) stated on its official website that it would boycott tournaments in which Russian or Belarusian athletes participate. This information was later removed.

"The SvFF has decided that athletes representing Sweden should not participate in Nordic, European or international competitions that allow the participation of representatives of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, either individually or as part of a team," the statement originally read.

SvFF President Otto Drakenberg stated that the article was published by mistake. The confusion was allegedly caused by the fact that the editor had re-published an article written in March 2022.

"It was an administrative error on our part. Due to the outbreak of the war a year ago, it was clear to us that Swedish fencers would not participate in competitions with Russians and Belarusians. That was true until the IOC and the International Fencing Federation changed their minds a few weeks ago, and then we had to update our website," Drakenberg told SVT Sport.

The Swedish Fencing Association has stressed that it will not boycott international competitions.

"The Swedish Fencing Association follows the directives of the NOCs and does not boycott competitions under the auspices of the International Fencing Federation or the European Fencing Federation. The union respects and supports the decision to participate," the SvFF said in a new statement.

It should be noted that the president of the Russian Fencing Federation, Ilgar Mamedov, spoke insultingly of Swedish athletes after they refused to participate in competitions to which representatives of the aggressor country would be allowed.

Recall that on March 10, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) decided to allow Russian athletes to participate in its tournaments.

This caused an angry reaction in the world, and many countries refused to participate or hold competitions under the auspices of the organisation. In addition, the FIE banned the symbols of Ukraine at the Grand Prix in South Korea. At the same time, it became known that Russian fencers were not allowed to participate in the selection stage for the 2024 Olympics.

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