"They are needed in Paris, like in a Russian ski bath": tickets from Bach and a neutral pen

The coach of trampolinist Angela Bladtseva, a well-known specialist Elena Fedorenchik, said that the International Olympic Committee is dealing with the transfer of the athlete to France.

"Angela has no problems with logistics. She will fly to Paris from Moscow, the IOC is dealing with all issues of its transfer to France. He buys tickets, places them in Paris, buys equipment," Match TV quoted Fedorenchik as saying.

Eighteen—year-old Bladtseva is one of the fifteen lucky people registered in Russia who were allowed by the IOC to compete at the 2024 Games with the AIN tag.

Meanwhile, Olympic champion Veronika Stepanova wrote in her telegram channel:

"15 people without anthem, flag and in "neutral suits" issued by the organizers… I stand by my opinion — if colleagues from summer sports go to Paris to win and remind the world where they come from, the long journey was not in vain. If it's at your own expense, it's nobody's business at all. But if these people received salaries in the Central Committee of the national teams of Russia and decided to be tourists ... there are questions. I want to hear their point of view in an attempt to understand."

In turn, the senior coach of the national gymnastics team, Valentina Rodionenko, called the admission of only 15 neutral athletes registered in Russia to the Olympics in Paris a complete failure of the IOC.:

"The fact that the IOC has created such an outrage is not just a disgrace. It's even hard to find a word. This is a complete failure of an organization like the IOC. Now we need to wait and see what happens to these 15 athletes who were admitted. No one guarantees their safety, it's even hard to imagine how things will turn out in the end.

In addition, the atmosphere against the Russians is constantly being inflamed. Let's hope that everything will work out. But what the results and the attitude of the judiciary will be, only the competition will show. There are a lot of people among the judges who are against us."

The head of the Russian Wrestling Federation Mikhail Mamiashvili is extremely brief today:

"The IOC has no idea about such human qualities as shame, shame, responsibility, obligations. In the current format in which the IOC exists, it is just a political lever and that's all! It is impossible to apply human traits to them."

And Ilya Averbukh, the Olympic silver medalist in ice dancing, who opposed the Olympics on federal channels, suddenly started talking about propaganda:

"Do I support the athletes' decision to go to the Olympics? They represent our country, which means they have to compete. Athletes should promote Russia! And each of them will do it."

By the way, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, visited the Olympic Village on July 17 in In Paris, he gave a speech to the first athletes and volunteers who arrived:

"We are finally here. We have come a long way in these seven years, but it was worth it. We have a wonderful Olympic Village, and it has all the ingredients for a wonderful Olympic Games.

The Olympic facilities are not only breathtaking, they meet the highest standards. You can feel the enthusiasm growing in France, and I hope that you share these feelings."

The German, of course, bent over enthusiasm, as well as about high standards. Let's see what the athletes and residents of Paris will say a week after the start of the Games, when the French authorities will wrap up another toadstool.

And finally, the comment of the Russian volleyball player Arina Fedorovtseva:

"Would Russia have claimed gold at the Games if it had gone to Paris? It is quite possible, because the selection of players is simply incredible. If we had fully participated in all the tournaments during the Olympic season, I think we would have achieved what we have been trying to achieve with the Russian national team for a long time.

Of course, the Olympics is a special competition. And I really wanted to go to Paris, but this did not happen. I can say that I caught myself thinking a few days ago that the closer these Olympic Games are, the more difficult it is for me personally to get used to the idea that we are not going there, that we did not even have the opportunity to go there."

P. S. The press service of the International Olympic Committee reports cynically:

"AIN (individual neutral athletes. — EADaily) will not participate in the parade of delegations (teams) during the opening ceremony, as they are individual athletes. But they will be given the opportunity to experience this event. This is the same scenario that was used for the independent Olympic participants of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (from the former Yugoslavia)."

They will look at it from the fenced enclosure…