The International Fencing Federation (FIE) had probably not taken full measure of its decision to authorize a return – conditionally – of Russian and Belarusian athletes in its international competitions. The FIE, the first international body to rule on this thorny issue on March 10, has since faced the consequences of a measure that does not satisfy either party.
Russia announced on Sunday April 2 that it would not send its foil fencers to Poznan, Poland, for the first qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (OG), from April 21 to 24. In question, the prerequisite imposed by Warsaw to ensure the neutrality of the sportsmen involved: the signing of a document certifying that they do not support the offensive in Ukraine; offensive behind the banishment of Russians and Belarusians in 2022.
"Unacceptable", for the president of the Russian federation, Ilgar Mamedov, quoted by the news agency RIA Novosti. "It's a specifically political statement, nothing to do with sports here," he said. “These provocative conditions will not allow us to participate in these competitions. Everything is done for that, ”said Mr. Mamedov again, this time with the Russian sports daily Sport-Express.
"Chaos at international competitions"
The decision of the FIE, which had not really won unanimous support during its congress which met exceptionally for the occasion, had already led Ukraine to announce the boycott of tournaments in which Russian and Belarusian fencers would take part.
More than three hundred fencers, retired or still active, had also asked the body to review its position, while Germany, Denmark and France had for their part given up hosting tournaments planned in the coming weeks. .
"We also anticipate that there will be chaos at international competitions, as fencers are likely to refuse to face Russian and Belarusian fencers," warned Danish Fencing Federation President Jan Sylvest Jensen.
The qualification phase for the Paris Games starts for fencing on April 3 and extends over twelve months, with for each weapon five World Cup events and three Grand Prix, which award the "biggest" points .
On March 28, in Lausanne (Switzerland), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reiterated its desire to see Russian and Belarusian athletes regain the fold of world sport, before however delaying their possible participation in the high mass of sport. in the French capital in the summer of 2024, postponing the decision to the "appropriate time"
The IOC then set as conditions for the return of said athletes: a neutral banner, participation "in an individual capacity", no active support for the war in Ukraine, nor any current "contract" with the army or security organs. Russian and Belarusian regimes.
Ukraine, which had already declared itself ready to boycott the Paris Games in the event of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, announced a few days later that its athletes would not be authorized to participate in the qualifying events in which of the Russians. Federations that do not submit to the measure could be stripped of their status.
The links between sport and the army are particularly strong in Russia, where the athletes with the most medals in the Olympic disciplines come from CSKA and Dynamo, the two major Moscow clubs created in the 1920s. in fencing, with the double Olympic saber champion, Sofya Velikaya, or silver medalists in the men's epee team, Pavel Sukhov and Sergey Bida, at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
