“I will be ashamed of my country if the Russians are not allowed to the Olympics.” Fourcade for the return of ours – many are unhappy

Biathlon legend Martin Fourcade programmatically performed at the World Championships in Oberhof:

“We should consider the possibility of returning Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions. I am elected to the IOC to protect athletes. I feel like I’m not defending these athletes. Of course, they are Russians and Belarusians, but they are also athletes.

All my career I fought with Russia on doping issues.I will not give anyone the opportunity to accuse me of a pro-Russian position.

I will be very ashamed of my country if it decides to remove Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions. I cannot understand how we can host the world without Russian and Belarusian athletes.

There is no deadline for this topic. The question is not when they will compete, but whether they will at all. And I think they should be allowed.”

It is important to understand:in Oberhof, Fourcade spoke not just in the status of a retired super champion. For almost a year now, he has been a member of the IOC, a representative of the Athletes’ Commission – he was elected by the participants of the 2022 Games in Beijing.

• Fourcade’s statement impressed many – and often in a bad way. Recent rivals publicly disagreed with him – authoritative  Johannes Bo and Sebastian Samuelsson .

“I think it’s a little weird. He is a great guy who I looked up to all these years and with whom I have always had the same opinion.

He was a good role model on anti-doping issues and as he holds a position with the IOC as an athlete representative, I was very pleased. But it is clear that in this case I do not agree with him,” snapped the Norwegian.

 

“I know very well that he (Fourcade) has such an opinion, but I do not agree. If you break the rules, there should be consequences. They (Russian athletes) should not be allowed to participate. It is naive to think that all this is not connected, ”the Swede believes.

Of the current top biathletes performing at the World Cup, no one supported Marten in public.

• Surprisingly, even in Russia they saw the underlying reason in Marten’s seemingly unambiguous statement.

Dmitry Vasiliev  guesses the reasons:

“I don’t see sincerity in his statement. This man, if not with hatred, then spoke unkindly about Russian biathletes. In particular, about Loginov, whom Fourcade simply hounded when Alexander beat him at the World Championships.

Most likely, Fourcade’s statements are connected with the fact that they slowly began to forget about him. He needs PR, he needs fame, and this is a good reason to remind himself.

Vladimir Drachev seems to be grateful to Fourcade, but not quite:

“In my opinion, these are all empty words, they will not lead to anything. You need to understand that the IOC is not an independent organization, all chatter. But Fourcade’s proposal itself is certainly good, we respect him.”

Olga Zaitseva probably has the most interesting version : “Maybe he says so because Johannes Bo is winning everything now and because there is no competition? Maybe Martin Fourcade is concerned that Beau is already outperforming him somewhere. It is possible to think so.

Why was he silent before, but now he began to speak? I don’t know, maybe the voice of reason has really awakened? Perhaps so. We will then think so, but we can think badly.”

There was no such dominance in biathlon: Johannes Bo crushes everyone and hunts for the eternal records of Fourcade and Bjoerndalen

• However, there is also enough understanding on our part:

Alexander Tikhonov thanked Marten in such a way that two nations simultaneously got it : “This is a very good sign, it turns out that there are people in France who think normally. Unlike frostbitten Norwegians.

Anfisa Reztsova is grateful: “Fourcade is great. Thanks to him, if he sincerely wishes it for us. He understands that without the Russians there is no big competition.”

• Our biathletes are also happy:

Anton Babikov is habitually reasonable: “I don’t think we need support, but it’s good that Fourcade does not unite everyone under one brush, but divides people into individuals, despite their nationality.”

And Eduard Latypov is laconic: “It’s good that Fourcade supports us, it’s always nice. I’m glad there are people who understand.”

***

In factFourcade is consistent on the issue of suspension: his position does not change, even if he does not say it often.

As early as February 25, 2022 – a few days before the very recommendation of Thomas Bach – Marten made it clear that he was equally worried about all the parties involved: “Our thoughts are also with our Russian friends, who unwittingly found themselves part of this situation.”