Three guns, six shooters, and no Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games (OG) medalist: this is the composition of the Russian selection, aligned under neutral status, at the European Individual Fencing Championships, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 June, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. For the first time, a group of Russian fencers takes part in an official competition, since the decision of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to reintegrate them with Belarusian athletes.
Acted on March 10, their return was to be effective from April, at the opening of the qualification period for the Paris Games – which depends on a world ranking. However, this remained subject to the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which on March 28 had finally recommended that athletes from the two countries could compete only as individuals and that those under contract with the army or who had shown support for the war in Ukraine remain ostracized.
Still, the position of the FIE, far from being unanimous within its member federations, has caused a disruption of the tournament calendar. The Plovdiv meeting is only the latest example of a date: initially, these European championships were to take place in Krakow, Poland, during the European Games, from June 21 to July 2.
As part of the sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, Poland, a key supporter of kyiv, has put in place travel restrictions on Russian and Belarusian nationals. Faced with the fear that the athletes of the two countries will be refused their entry visa, the International Federation has therefore decided to remove its value of European championships from the individual competition of the European Games. Concretely, the meeting in Krakow will not allocate points in the race to Paris 2024 – unlike the team event, from which the Russians and the Belarusians remain excluded under the recommendations of the IOC.
A time mentioned, the possibility of a substitution tournament being organized in October was finally ruled out, the executive committee of the FIE wishing that the continental deadline be held before the World Championships in Milan, from July 22 to 30. May 31, in a press releasethe European Fencing Confederation therefore endorsed that the “real” European championships, those whose results will be counted in the Olympic qualification, would take place in Plovdiv, in mid-June.
“Chaotic situation that will cause permanent damage”
You have 49.21% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.