Former biathlete Martin Fourcade, a member of the International Olympic Committee and president of the Paris 2024 Athletes Commission, in an interview on Saturday called for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the competition, reports AFP.
Martin Fourcade advocates the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions
“As a representative of athletes and as an athlete, I believe that we should think about the return of Russians and Belarusians to sports competitions. I really believe in the values of sport and I really believe that no one should be excluded from the competition because of passport or nationality,” the most successful Frenchman in the history of the Winter Olympics said in English to NRK.
The five-time Olympic champion emphasized that he speaks only for himself and that this is a matter of principle – an athlete cannot be disqualified “because his president behaves like a madman.”
“For me, Paris or not, it’s not a question. My position is not linked to one date or the next World Cup,” Fourcade said, as quoted by News.ro.
According to Fourcade, these Russian and Belarusian athletes should be able to compete under a neutral flag. Fourcade also stated that he “fully supports the Ukrainian people” – “I am with them 100%” – and that “this war is terrible.”
Track record of Martin Fourcade
Olympic Games:
Track: Gold (2014, 2018)
Individual: Gold (2014)
Mass start: gold (2018), silver (2010, 2014)
Mixed relay: gold (2018)
World Cup:
Sprint: gold (2012, 2016), silver (2011, 2013), bronze (2017, 2020)
Track: gold (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017), silver (2013)
Mass start: gold (2012), silver (2016)
Individual: gold (2013, 2015, 2016, 2020), bronze (2017)
Men’s relay: gold (2020), silver (2012, 2013, 2017), bronze (2015)
Mixed relay: gold (2016), silver (2013, 2015, 2017), bronze (2011)
World Cup:
Overall rating (Great Crystal Globe): 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Small Crystal Ball in Sprint: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
Little crystal ball to watch: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Small Individual Crystal Ball: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
Small crystal ball in mass start: 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Source: Hot News
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