MOSCOW, Aug 9 Four-time Olympic biathlon champion Alexander Tikhonov , commenting on the call of the Committee on Youth and Sports of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to international federations to cancel mandatory handshakes and bows at tournaments where both Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian athletes compete, he called the authors of the initiative brainless.
Earlier, Ukrainian saber fencer Olga Kharlan was disqualified at the World Championships because she did not shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova after winning the 1/32 final. According to the rules of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), the fight is considered incomplete without a handshake. Later, the Ukrainian athlete was admitted to the saber team tournament, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as an exception, granted her a license to participate in the 2024 Games. As La Repubblica reported, Harlan had the right not to shake hands with Smirnova, as the tournament has a protocol to combat coronavirus.
“What else can you expect from them… How can you make such stupid proposals?! We have been greeting each other for thousands of years, congratulating each other, of all nationalities. Sport should unite people. We always sat at the same table, made friends, called back, called only for peace and friendship. And now what?!» Tikhonov said.
On Tuesday, the Youth and Sports Committee recommended that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopt a draft appeal to the leaders and parliaments of foreign states with a proposal to ban entry for Russian and Belarusian athletes and delegations.