Latest news with #SofyaVelikaya
DW
2 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Russian army major to compete at fencing world championships – DW – 07/11/2025
Sofya Velikaya is one of the world's most successful fencers, having won multiple Olympic medals. Now, after a long absence, she is allowed to return to competition — despite her military rank. Russians with direct links to the military will be free to compete at fencing's world championships later this month, after the sport's governing body abandoned independent vetting of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Under the International Fencing Federation's (FIE) new neutrality policy, being affiliated with military clubs is no longer a disqualifying factor for fencers wishing to obtain neutral status. That decision has allowed five-time Olympic medalist Sofya Velikaya, a major in the Russian army by virtue of her membership of the army club CSKA, to enter this year's world championships, which start in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 22. Many sports organizations in Russia are connected to the army or the police. Referring to Velikaya's participation in Tbilisi, one senior European fencing official told DW: "That for me is a total no-go." The official added that they were "outraged" by the decision to scrap independent checks. The move has also sparked anger in Ukraine, with the country still heavily under attack from Russia. "This is a slap in the face not only to Ukrainian athletes, but to the entire global sports community," said Mykhailo Ilyashev, the president of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation. "We have emphasized from the very beginning that this whole process of testing Russian fencers for neutrality is a farce." Ukrainian sports officials have long campaigned against the participation of any athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus in international events, even as neutrals. From now on, the FIE will only require Russian and Belarusian fencers to sign a form confirming their neutrality, without any third-party oversight. The requirements include not making any public statements that support the war or participating in any pro-war rallies. The policy, announced in a letter to the FIE's member federations, breaks with one of the main neutrality rules imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. There, any athlete who was "contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies" could not participate. Velikaya, 40, missed out on the Paris Games because of her army status. She had never appeared on any vetted list of neutral athletes, and her inclusion at the world championships — alongside fellow CSKA members Yana Egorian and Olga Nikitina, who both also have military ranks — has shocked many observers. In June, Ukraine complained after Velikaya was nominated as a candidate for the FIE's athletes' commission, highlighting her rank of major and her role as an official campaigner — "a confidant" — for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential election. "Such a person cannot be recognized as neutral and has no right to participate in the international sports movement — and even less to claim to represent the interests of athletes around the world," Ukraine's sports ministry wrote in a joint statement with the Ukrainian Olympic Committee and Ukrainian Fencing Federation. It added that "aggressor countries are using sport not for dialogue and unity, but as a tool of propaganda." Previously, and similar to many international sports federations, the FIE hired a cybersecurity company and independent lawyer to verify information it had collected on Russian and Belarusian fencers who applied for neutral status. At that time, the criteria for granting this was in line with the IOC's rules. Explaining its decision in the letter on July 7, the FIE called the vetting process "burdensome and particularly costly," and said that it wanted to "simplify the process, to make it quicker and less expensive." It is the second time in three months that the FIE has gone against the IOC, having decided in April to allow teams of neutral athletes at its events, something that was not permitted in Paris. Asked by DW to comment on the FIE's diverging policies, the IOC replied that each sport's governing body "is the sole authority for its international competitions, outside of the Olympic Games." The FIE didn't respond to a request for comment. Observers say fencing has long been under Russian influence. In March 2023, the sport was one of the first to readmit Russians and Belarusians as neutrals. Meanwhile, last November, Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov — once described by the European Union as "one of Vladimir Putin's favorite oligarchs" — was reelected as the FIE's president for a fifth term, despite being sanctioned in nearly 40 countries. Usmanov, who rejects the term "oligarch," single-handedly bankrolled fencing for years. He stood down from the presidency just days after his reelection, although many inside the sport suspect he is continuing to pull strings from behind the scenes. Another fencing source told DW that Usmanov's influence was "obvious," but pointed most of the blame at the FIE's ruling executive committee. "Recent decisions to return fencers in teams, and in particular fencers with known and public military affiliation before, during and after the war is simply unacceptable while the IOC and wider sport world maintain appropriate restrictions on Russian and Belarusian participation," the source said.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Ukraine protests inclusion of Russian athletes with military ranks as neutrals
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox KYIV – Ukraine's Fencing Federation (NFFU) is considering unspecified legal action after the sport's global governing body confirmed that three athletes would compete as 'neutrals' at this month's World Championships. The NFFU has insisted that the trio have Russian military ranks. Ukraine's National Olympic Committee last month urged the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to bar Russian Olympic multi-medallist Sofya Velikaya from competing, citing her rank as a major in the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Olympic body argued that the 40-year-old Velikaya does not meet the International Olympic Committee's neutrality criteria, which state that athletes linked to the military or security services of countries engaged in armed conflict should not be allowed to compete as neutrals. The FIE and the International Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Velikaya is among 37 athletes listed as 'neutrals' on the FIE's entry list for the event released on Tuesday for the July 22–26 World Championships taking place in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. She is joined by compatriots and fellow fencers Yana Egorian, a gold medal winner at the Rio Olympic Games who is listed on the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army website as a lieutenant, and Olga Nikitina, a warrant officer. "The Fencing Federation of Ukraine is determining legal steps to counter this shameful decision," the NFFU said in a statement. "On this occasion, we once again publicly appeal to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine with a call to apply the measures provided for by law against the leadership of the International Fencing Federation." NFFU president Mykhailo Ilyashev added: "This is a slap in the face not only to Ukrainian athletes, but also to the entire global sports community. "We have emphasized from the very beginning that this whole process of testing Russian fencers for neutrality is a farce." Velikaya, born in Kazakhstan, is one of the most decorated fencers of the modern era, with multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. She won team gold at Rio 2016 alongside Egorian, who also claimed the individual title. Velikaya, joined by Nikitina, went on to defend the team crown at the Tokyo Olympics. REUTERS
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Fencing-Ukraine protests inclusion of Russian athletes with military ranks as neutrals
(Reuters) -Ukraine's Fencing Federation (NFFU) is considering unspecified legal action after the sport's global governing body confirmed that three athletes would compete as 'neutrals' at this month's World Championships that the NFFU say have Russian military ranks. Ukraine's National Olympic Committee last month urged the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to bar Russian Olympic multi-medallist Sofya Velikaya from competing, citing her rank as a major in the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Olympic body argued the 40-year-old Velikaya does not meet the International Olympic Committee's neutrality criteria, which state that athletes linked to the military or security services of countries engaged in armed conflict should not be allowed to compete as neutrals. The FIE and the International Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Velikaya is among 37 athletes listed as 'neutrals' on the FIE's entry list for the event released on Tuesday for the July 22–26 World Championships taking place in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. She is joined by compatriots and fellow fencers Yana Egorian, a gold medal winner at the Rio Olympic Games who is listed on the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army website as a lieutenant, and Olga Nikitina, a warrant officer. "The Fencing Federation of Ukraine is determining legal steps to counter this shameful decision," the NFFU said in a statement. "On this occasion, we once again publicly appeal to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine with a call to apply the measures provided for by law against the leadership of the International Fencing Federation." NFFU president Mykhailo Ilyashev added: "This is a slap in the face not only to Ukrainian athletes, but also to the entire global sports community. "We have emphasized from the very beginning that this whole process of testing Russian fencers for neutrality is a farce." Velikaya, born in Kazakhstan, is one of the most decorated fencers of the modern era, with multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. She won team gold at Rio 2016 alongside Egorian, who also claimed the individual title. Velikaya, joined by Nikitina, went on to defend the team crown at the Tokyo Olympics. (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Fencing-Ukraine protests inclusion of Russian athletes with military ranks as neutrals
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ukraine's Fencing Federation (NFFU) is considering unspecified legal action after the sport's global governing body confirmed that three athletes would compete as 'neutrals' at this month's World Championships that the NFFU say have Russian military ranks. Ukraine's National Olympic Committee last month urged the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to bar Russian Olympic multi-medallist Sofya Velikaya from competing, citing her rank as a major in the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Olympic body argued the 40-year-old Velikaya does not meet the International Olympic Committee's neutrality criteria, which state that athletes linked to the military or security services of countries engaged in armed conflict should not be allowed to compete as neutrals. The FIE and the International Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Velikaya is among 37 athletes listed as 'neutrals' on the FIE's entry list for the event released on Tuesday for the July 22–26 World Championships taking place in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. She is joined by compatriots and fellow fencers Yana Egorian, a gold medal winner at the Rio Olympic Games who is listed on the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army website as a lieutenant, and Olga Nikitina, a warrant officer. "The Fencing Federation of Ukraine is determining legal steps to counter this shameful decision," the NFFU said in a statement. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Sport Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses "On this occasion, we once again publicly appeal to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine with a call to apply the measures provided for by law against the leadership of the International Fencing Federation." NFFU president Mykhailo Ilyashev added: "This is a slap in the face not only to Ukrainian athletes, but also to the entire global sports community. "We have emphasized from the very beginning that this whole process of testing Russian fencers for neutrality is a farce." Velikaya, born in Kazakhstan, is one of the most decorated fencers of the modern era, with multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. She won team gold at Rio 2016 alongside Egorian, who also claimed the individual title. Velikaya, joined by Nikitina, went on to defend the team crown at the Tokyo Olympics. REUTERS
