MOSCOW, Sep 26Olympic champion in cross-country skiing Veronika Stepanova believes that Russian athletes deserve the same treatment as Israeli ones, since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict did not lead to consequences for them in sports. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) at the end of February suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions due to events in Ukraine. The decision was indefinite as long as it remains in effect. «We have never begged to be allowed to return to the international arena. We have demanded this since we were illegally suspended in early March. We demand this because it is our absolute right. Political differences cannot and should not prevent athletes from competing with each other.I am glad that more and more people in the world, including sports officials, consider the suspension of Russian athletes morally wrong and hypocritical.We should be allowed to return to international competitions, and we will be allowed Point,” said Stepanova, quoted by Dagbladet. “If someone wants to boycott me on the ski slopes, it should be his personal decision. But again, I believe that international sports do not allow boycotts against, for example, Israeli athletes «We Russians should be treated the same as the Israelis, no better or worse. No one wins in this situation. I will continue to have my opinion, and my critics will remain the same. I'm not going to suddenly disappear or go to Mars, you can't build a wall between us. It’s better to start competing on the tracks again than to argue in the media,» the 21-year-old athlete added. Earlier, FIS Secretary General Michel Vion said that the federation was considering the possibility of admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes suspended from international competitions due to events in Ukraine. Later, a member board of the organization from Finland Martti Uusitalo said that Vion's words were misinterpreted.
