MOSCOW, Oct 4, Vasily Bogdanov. President of the Biathlon Federation St. -St. Petersburg, two-time Olympic champion Dmitry Vasiliev confirmed that there is a ban on leaving Russia for athletes representing the city without the approval of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports.
Previously, three sources close to the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports of St. Petersburg confirmed the existence an order prohibiting employees and students of budget sports schools in the city from traveling to training camps and competitions outside of Russia. Also, according to available information, at a recent meeting it was clarified that the ban applies to traveling abroad during the holiday period. Sources emphasized that if agreed upon by the committee, such trips may be allowed.
“» Indeed, there is such an order, there is nothing supernatural here. When traveling abroad, the sports committee needs to control the movements of athletes and have up-to-date information. If I’m not mistaken, the government adopted this order in the spring. It does not cause any difficulties to anyone. Still, it is done in advance, no one today is thinking of leaving tomorrow. All this is of a notification nature, I have not yet heard of a single ban on traveling somewhere. It simply streamlines the process of movement of athletes. Not I know about other regions, whether there is the same practice there. This is determined by each government,» Vasiliev said.