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Fencing and the FIE: the Russian way of solving problems

447 fencers and the European Confederation's board speak out against the decision of the International Fencing Federation to allow Russian fencers and teams to compete as ‘neutral athletes.’ At the same time, Usmanov's vassals around Vitaly Logvin consolidate their power with a dubious congress.

,   and  Jens Weinreich
8 min read
Mass murderer Putin with Major Sofya Velikaya, Olympic champion in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, Russian flag bearer in Tokyo, approved for the World Championships in Tbilisi – and even for election to the FIE Athletes' Commission. (Photo: Kremlin)
"This is not about a few individual athletes. This is a systematic campaign involving soldiers and those who openly support putin. Yes, military officer Sofya Velikaya — a major in the russian army is not just a fencer. She is a tool of state propaganda, part of a massive machine that has justified w@r and violence for years."
Olga Kharlan

Two open letters were published on Thursday. The organisation Global Athlete distributed an Open Letter to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) from over 440 international fencers. The office of the European Fencing Confederation (EFC) sent a letter entitled ‘Call for dialogue’, the content of which corresponded to the athletes' statement.

Essentially, they criticise the latest statement by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) on the admission of Russian and Belarusian fencers and teams as so-called Athlete Individual Neutral (AIN) under the FIE flag. Athletes and the EFC claim that they were not consulted prior to the FIE's decision.

The EFC, whose president, Pascal Tesch (Luxembourg), is a member of the FIE's COMEX, questions the neutrality and competence of the FIE to decide on this matter.

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