“It has nothing to do with the special operation”: the pentathlete Lesun said that the Western media distorted his words about leaving the sport

Olympic champion - 2016 in modern pentathlon Alexander Lesun was involved in a scandalous story because of the British media.

On April 13, a text was published on the BBC website (access to the site is limited by Roskomnadzor by decision of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. -

) from which it followed that the athlete allegedly refused to play for the Russian team due to the situation in Ukraine.

At the same time, the text contains the words of an athlete that he completely said goodbye to sports even before the start of the special operation. 

“I was proud to compete under the Russian flag.

My grandmother is Russian, I have many relatives in Russia.

Russia has always been dear to my heart, it was something strong, great.

And now I'm not talking about politics or the army, I'm talking about people, about natural beauties.

I have always felt connected to this country.

On February 22, I completed my sports career, and two days later all these events began, ”the publication quoted Lesun as saying.

Quotes of the pentathlete quickly scattered in the domestic media, but the athlete himself hastened to refute the false information.

He was shocked at how the original message of his statements was distorted in the text.

“The vector is very shifted in this material, and I am shocked by this.

It seems my words, but the journalists have shifted the vector of my statements.

I just said that in February I completed my sports career.

And I don’t want to compete in the modern pentathlon anymore.

This has nothing to do with the special operation in Ukraine.

I didn't refuse to play for Russia because of the political situation.

I ended my career because of what is happening in the world of modern pentathlon in general, because of personal moments associated with our federation, ”Match TV quotes Lesun.

The athlete was born in Belarus and until the age of 20 he played for the national team of this country.

In 2008, he decided to move to Russia.

Lesun approached the London Olympics as the reigning world champion and leader of the international rankings, but performed unsuccessfully, being only in fourth place.

The title was submitted to him only in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

In addition, over the years of performance, he won four gold medals at the World Championships and the same number at the European Championships.

And Alexander does not hide the fact that Russian specialists made a great contribution to his success.

“It was Russia that made me an Olympic champion, it was the Russian coaching staff.

I understand this very well, ”the athlete emphasized.

The Federation of Sports Pentathlon of Russia, in turn, gave details of the end of the career of the titled pentathlete.

According to the president of the organization, Vyacheslav Aminov, for six years after the triumphant Olympics for himself, Lesun almost did not play at significant tournaments, which is why he lost his international rating.

“Last year I didn’t compete in any competition because I didn’t get into the rating.

He asked to be taken to certain competitions as an exception.

I wanted to be taken to the European Championship in Nizhny Novgorod last year.

But I consulted with the coaches, and they said that we cannot do it, otherwise we will ruin the team.

If an athlete is not in the ranking, if he does not achieve a result, then he does not perform, ”the functionary explained in an interview with Match TV.

He also noted that Lesun was excluded from the list of the national team and is currently “in free flight”.  

“He cannot play for the Russian national team, because he has been out of the national team for a long time.

He is also not on the coaching staff.

I think that this is his emotional personal opinion, which the federation and the coaching staff do not share, ”Aminov emphasized.

The athlete's personal trainer Alexei Khaplanov said that the FSPR is currently consulting with a lawyer to protect Lesun's interests in connection with the publication.

In addition, the mentor doubted that his ward seriously intended to leave the sport.

He suggested that the athlete made the corresponding statement on emotions.

“Alexander is not in the national team because there were no results in 2021, but he is still an athlete.

He had a back injury, because of which everything was in a sparing mode.

He didn’t even tell me that he decided to finally end his career, ”the Sport-Express specialist quotes.

Lesun, on the other hand, said that he had already applied to the federation about coaching, but the position of a fencing specialist, which was offered there, did not suit him.

“Still, this is not the level that I expect.

There is a misunderstanding, so I will continue to look at the options, ”said the former athlete.

Aminov, in turn, stressed that the road to the coaching staff of the national team is not closed for Lesun, but he needs to “take up his mind” and adhere to all the rules that are in the federation.

“For now, he needs to show what he is capable of.

So far there are no results.

As an athlete after 2016, he no longer took place, but as a coach he has not yet taken place.

Now he is at a crossroads.

Good.

It's okay, ”said the head of the Match TV federation.