MOSCOW, Aug 9 Leaders of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team Arina and Dina Averina in the YouTube show «Sports Exchange» they told Nikita Nagorny that they would end their sports career if the Russian team was not allowed to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. At the end of February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete because of the situation in Ukraine. A number of international federations excluded Russians and Belarusians from competitions under their auspices, and also canceled competitions in Russia. Other federations allowed athletes from the two countries to compete in a neutral status. «Before the whole situation, thanks to Arina, we wanted to leave after the Olympics in Paris. She persuaded me — three years about nothing at all. And I thought, okay, we persuaded, we stay. And then everything was blocked for us, and I think: why is it all? When will everything return so that we can perform normally? I want to leave for a long time, but they don’t let us go, «said Dina. «If the news comes out that the Russian team will not accept participation in the Olympic Games in Paris, then we are ending our careers? Yes, «added Arina.
