"Why are they silent?" Russian Olympic champion outraged that athletes did not speak out against Harlan

The President of the Russian Fencing Federation (RFF) Ilgar Mamedov has once again become angry over the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to grant Ukrainian Olga Harlan a license to participate in the 2024 Games. The official called it a spit on the representatives of the Russian Federation, condemning our compatriot for refusing to shake hands with Anna Smirnova at the World Cup in Milan.

Mamedov said this in an interview with the propaganda outlet Sport-Express. The two-time Olympic champion was outraged that Harlan's disqualification was lifted for refusing to greet the Russian athlete, and also demanded that the fencers oppose the Ukrainian.

"Only after an hour and a half of swearing did they show a black card to the athlete who refused to shake hands. The card meant a disqualification of up to two months. But a day later, this card was mysteriously canceled! This violated all the rules that had been in place for decades! In addition, the IOC gave the offender a license. This is not just a spit on us, but on the entire world sport. The athletes who are fighting for their points, to put it mildly, have been neglected. I wonder why they are silent. Why do they agree with the IOC's gift?" Mamedov said.

At the 2023 World Cup, Olga Harlan did not shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova, who, after our fencer's action, staged a real circus, refusing to leave the track. She filed a protest against the result, which was rejected. Later, the Ukrainian was disqualified by the FIS under pressure from Russia.

It should be noted that the Russian representative meets the criteria of a neutral athlete, openly supporting the Russian Armed Forces. In an interview with OBOZ.UA, Olga Harlan admitted how she reacted to her disqualification from the World Championships after refusing to shake hands with a Russian woman.

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!