“I’m not going to give up the country”: Russian racers are not allowed to the Dakar without condemning the special operation

Russian racer Sergey Karyakin said that he could not register for participation in the Dakar rally-raid without a written statement condemning the special operation in Ukraine.

According to him, in order to compete in any competition under the auspices of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), domestic pilots must sign a special paper.

“They ask not only me to sign (a statement on the condemnation of the CBO. -

), but also all Russian athletes ... This is the requirement of the FIA, which screamed the loudest about the lack of politics in sports, but in reality there is a policy of double standards.

This piece of paper says that we should not support the president, the special operation, that we consider the actions of our country to be destructive.

In this format, ”R-Sport quotes Karyakin.

He clarified that this document was formulated by the federation back in April and continues to be relevant to this day.

The rider said that he is trying to solve the problem with the help of lawyers, as he does not intend to agree with this “enslaving and politically motivated” paper.

According to him, each of the Russian pilots will be forced to make a difficult decision.

“I am not going to give up my country.

I grew up here, she fed me and made me who I am, ”said the native of Yekaterinburg in a conversation with Match TV.

Vice-President of the Russian Automobile Federation Sergey Ushakov, commenting on the situation, expressed doubt that international structures can be influenced in any way.

“Actually, this is a strange requirement.

But what to do?

If they don't, then they won't.

The federation condemned this decision.

But the organizers have the sovereign right not to let in those they don't want to see.

They won't let us in no matter how we wag our tails.

It is clear whose initiative.

Bach is a bad person.

Trampled the most important idea of ​​the Olympic movement.

Such presidents probably have no place in the IOC, ”Sport-Express quotes Ushakov.

Sports lawyer Anna Anceliovich, on the contrary, believes that athletes need to fight for their rights and the FIA ​​requirement can be canceled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as it contradicts the Olympic Charter.

“The International Olympic Committee speaks of the political neutrality of sport, and all the restrictions that are imposed on Russian athletes are due to their safety.

Therefore, the introduction of an explicitly political requirement into the conditions for participation in competitions violates this principle.

From a legal point of view, there are quite good chances that this requirement will be canceled in the prescribed manner, ”the specialist emphasized.

At the same time, according to her, athletes must first go through internal procedures in the disciplinary bodies and appeal committees of the FIA ​​itself before contacting CAS.

But not everyone is ready to go to lengthy proceedings, including because they do not see any prospects in this.

Thus, racer Maria Oparina stressed that she had no illusions about the lifting of sanctions and the admission of Russian athletes to international tournaments.

“I see no point in proving to Western functionaries that you are not a sheep.

I'm just doing my job.

I enjoy it... Dakar is just one of the stages of the World Cup, and there are many of them, in early October, a stage will be held in Morocco, for example, and also without the Russians.

If Tchaikovsky is banned in the world, then what kind of international motorsport can we talk about, ”said the two-time winner of the Silk Way Rally Marathon.

Svetlana Zhurova, Olympic champion in speed skating and State Duma deputy of the Russian Federation, recalled that back in the spring the FIA ​​introduced a requirement to sign a paper or make a public statement about their attitude towards CBO, so it is not surprising that it applies to Dakar participants.

“This is an element of political pressure on the athlete to check how strong our guys are ... What should a rider do in such a situation?

Age does not limit his career.

He can race in a year or two and I don’t think that his athletic form will get worse from this.

Undoubtedly, he should be patient, ”Sport-Express quotes Zhurova.

However, not all athletes are willing to sacrifice several years of their career.

So, Konstantin Zhiltsov decided to change his sports citizenship in order to be able to compete in the rally.

The 57-year-old navigator told RBC that he received an Israeli passport and will represent this country at Dakar.

“I made myself a set of documents.

And at the stage of the Russian Championship in Ulyanovsk, I will already perform as a foreign athlete.

It is necessary to chase, otherwise you lose your skills, and then you need to stop all this altogether.

A career in professional sports is rather fleeting, so some cardinal decisions must be made, ”Zhiltsov said in an interview with Match TV.

According to the athlete, now the international federations are “looking at each other and waiting for who will be the first to violate this system and begin to observe the principle of “Sport is out of politics”.

“There is such a swing here: either wait for something to change, or, if you want to continue to compete, think about what documents you can issue for this,” added Zhiltsov.