MOSCOW, June 24, Oleg Bogatov. Olympic Games in Paris without the participation of the Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova, they will not be so bright; the athlete’s results were affected by the uncertainty before the qualifying tournament, said Dmitry Svishchev, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Sports.
Earlier, Efimova failed to meet the Olympic qualification standard in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke at the Bahamas Championships. This was the last chance for the athlete to qualify for the Games.
“»Of course, I am very upset, because Yulia Efimova today is one of the brightest stars on the horizon of Russian swimming. We are proud of Efimova and expected a lot from her. Yulia is a great athlete, and I am very sad for her. Without such stars like Efimova, the Olympic Games in Paris will not be as bright,” Svishchev said.
“But all this hassle, we qualify — we don’t qualify, we go — we don’t go, of course, makes itself felt and affects the results of our athletes. Some of our stars are not allowed to participate in the Olympics, others were not able to qualify. Unfortunately , the situation is like this now. But still, Julia’s career is not ending soon, she will continue to perform, so we will expect new victories from her, she has a good team, and she herself is an interesting and bright girl. Julia has already done a lot. will do a lot for Russian sports,” said the agency’s interlocutor.
Efimova is 32 years old, she has won two silver and one bronze medals at the Olympic Games, as well as six gold medals at the World Championships. On June 14, she received neutral status to compete at the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russians to participate in the Games, which will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, in individual neutral status, subject to a number of criteria. A special flag and anthem have been approved for neutral athletes. Russians will not be allowed to participate in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony, and their awards will not be displayed in the medal table.