Saber fencer Valeria Kobzeva was supposed to take part in the European Championship fencing in Bulgaria. However, it was opposed by a coalition led by Ukraine. The International Fencing Federation (FIE) caved in and removed the Russian athlete.
FIE will not be determined A few months ago, FIE was enthusiastic in Russia. The organization dared to allow Russian athletes to participate in international competitions. At the time, this seemed like a powerful step towards renunciation of politics. However, over time, the optimism waned. The federation upheld the decision, but clearly divided the Russians into «right» and «wrong».
The second list included the famous Olympic champions — Yana Yegoryan, Sofia Velikaya and Sofia Pozdnyakova. FIE took into account the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and tried to please everyone. It turned out lousy.
You still have to give credit to the organization. In some aspects, its leaders have retained sobriety of mind. The Executive Committee has deprived a major tournament in Krakow, Poland, of the status of the European Championship due to the non-admission of Russian fencers.
In September 2022, Poland imposed a travel ban on Russians to the country. Our compatriots were not even allowed to make transfers at Polish airports. The importance of the FIE's actions was that, without the status of the European Championship, the competition lost its relevance in terms of collecting qualifying points for the Olympics. Athletes will go there as tourists with the hope of earning prize money.
Ukraine complained — the athlete was suspended. The situation turned out to be as ambiguous as possible. The head of the Russian Fencing Federation (FFR), Ilgar Mammadov, assured that either all the wards would go to tournaments, or none. However, six athletes in a neutral status nevertheless declared for the European Championship in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The participants included Valeria Kobzeva, Alena Lisina, Anna Smirnova (all — saber), Yana Bekmurzova, Artem Sarkisyan and Polina Khaertdinova (all — sword).
It is logical to assume that they all passed the strict criteria. Otherwise, a completely different composition would have gone to Bulgaria. The International Fencing Federation analyzed the list and chose those to whom, in their opinion, there could be no questions in terms of political neutrality. Unfortunately, the story is not over. Kobzeva was removed from the FIE.
It was opposed by «different sides», but Ukraine became the main one. They assured that they carefully studied the actions of the Russian athlete and allegedly found support for the NWO in them. Based on «likes» on social networks! The Ukrainians still managed to push through the International Fencing Federation, which was easier to exclude Kobzeva than to ignite the conflict.
““Her participation in the European Championships caused criticism from different sides. Kobzeva’s actions again provoked discussions about the role of athletes as public figures and about «The impact of their statements on international relations. This incident raises questions about the responsibility of athletes for resolving sensitive political issues and the possible consequences for their careers and public image,» Inside the Games quotes a statement from the Ukrainian side.
The actions of the Ukrainian side were not surprising. They have repeatedly arranged various dirty tricks at competitions and on the Internet. For example, Russian fans were expelled from the stands of the World Judo Championship in Qatar for St. George ribbons precisely after the Ukrainians complained. In tennis, provocations have become a routine. Some federations have already learned how to respond to this, and the International Fencing Federation has yet to master everything.