"When the French missiles are flying": Do we really need to go to the Games in Paris?

Two-time Olympic champion in athletics Svetlana Masterkova expressed her attitude towards Russian athletes who went to the 2024 Games in a neutral status.

"We have already had situations when, despite our neutral status, we went to the Games. However, things are very different now.

Yes, an athlete has a short century, and participation in competitions is our job. Salary and various bonuses depend on the status of the tournament in which you performed. And the current situation is a tragedy for our guys. It all hurts. But! When your brother, father, friend, neighbor went to the front and... French missiles are flying at him, it's worth thinking — do you need to go to Paris?

Personally, I perceive this Olympiad as some kind of international, but still dubious competitions. What can we talk about if transgender men compete with girls in modern sports! Such sad "fun starts". It's just that the animals aren't running there yet, but I think they'll come to that one day, too.

We have always treated with respect to The Olympic Charter, the Olympic Movement. But what is happening now with the Games in which politics is playing solo does not stand up to any criticism," Masterkova told the AIF newspaper.

In turn, two-time Olympic swimming champion Denis Pankratov believes that the Olympics will be a "humiliation" for Russian athletes:

"We don't want our athletes to be booed at the start, but it will be.

Why do we strive for the Olympics? Because it's a holiday, but for our athletes, this holiday will turn into humiliation. Not in terms of the fact that you can not show the highest result.

You can be the strongest, but even if you win, you won't be appreciated properly.

You will be booed, the victory will be questioned, and at the press conference you will answer questions not about how great you are, but about what you think about life on the Mars."

Meanwhile, State Duma deputy, three‑time Olympic champion Irina Rodnina is confident that the United States will not be deprived of the right to host the Olympics due to the application of the "Rodchenkov law".

Earlier, the honorary president of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a member of the International Olympic Committee, Richard Pound, admitted that WADA could deprive the US Anti-Doping Agency of compliance status, which would lead to a ban on major competitions, including the Olympic Games in 2028 and 2034.

The reason may be the "Rodchenkov act", which is used by the American authorities to investigate the positive results of doping tests of 23 Chinese swimmers.

"Each country has its own internal laws, let them figure it out. We want to look at it, our showdown is over. I am sure that the Americans will not lose the right to host the Olympics. It seems to me that WADA will want to show its strength, power and importance. But the World Anti-Doping Agency cannot be above the IOC and the country's internal laws.

After all, WADA is an organization approved by other countries. She has no legal right to be higher. Of course, we are all fighting for the purity of the Olympic movement, but the organization is pulling the blanket over itself too much. When there is a right to deprive something, there must be a right to defend something. While they have not offered anything for the purity of the sport, they only impose bans," says the legendary figure skater.

And here's what Honored Coach of the USSR Tatyana Tarasova thinks about this:

"We will not be happy if the United States is deprived of the right to host the Olympic Games, we will not be allowed to host them anyway. Why should I be happy? No one will deprive the USA, it is a huge sports country.

Doping should not be used, then nothing will affect it, it cannot be done. I have worked in top-level sports for several decades myself, and I can say that you can do without doping by beating everyone."