"We have revived the Spartakiad!" Russian Olympic champion in a patriotic frenzy accuses IOC of violating Russians' rights

Russian artistic gymnastics champion Nikita Nagirny accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of allegedly unfairly suspending him from competition. The winner of the Tokyo 2020 Games called it a "big mistake," but could not explain what it was, and only repeated traditional propaganda narratives about the politicization of sports.

Nagirny said this in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The three-time world champion, who is under sanctions for supporting the war in Ukraine, also said with undisguised pride that Russia had revived Soviet competitions, ridiculously comparing them to the World and European championships.

"We have already gone through a lot. Now the IOC has been unable to make a decision for so long, coming up with various eligibility criteria that are unfair and violate the rights of athletes. But our sport was not at home. We revived and held the Spartakiad. This year, as it was in 1984, the Friendship Games will be held. I talked to people who competed there. Nothing has changed in terms of the sports component. The IOC made a big mistake by equating sport with politics. It's good that they can't speak for everyone," Nagirny said.

Earlier, gymnast Artur Dalaloyan accused the IOC of turning Russians into beggars, saying "we do not pose a threat to others."

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