Olympic champion Duhamel called for a boycott of the 2024 Games due to the admission of Russians
Megan Duhamel said that the reason for the removal of the Russians might be not only a special operation in Ukraine, but also problems with doping
Megan Duhamel (left)
(Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
The champion of the PyeongChang Olympics in the team figure skating tournament, Canadian Megan Duhamel, on Twitter called on “more countries and federations” to discuss the boycott of the 2024 Games in Paris if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed.
Duhamel published a post with a letter to members of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine, which reports on plans consider a boycott of the February 3 Games.
“I think more countries and sports federations should follow suit,” Duhamel wrote. In the comments to the post, the former figure skater noted that if the special operation in Ukraine is not a reason for suspension, then “the systemic doping program, of course, is.”
IOC January 25 allowed the possibility of returning to international competitions of Russians and Belarusians who did not actively support the special operation in Ukraine and did not violate the anti-doping code. The IOC also supported the proposal to allow athletes of the two countries to participate in tournaments in Asia.
The IOC’s statement provoked controversy.
Press Secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov declared “RBC Sport”, that in the IOC wording “too much politics”, and the head of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov expressed categorical disagreement with “any restrictions and additional requirements and sanctions” to Russian athletes.
Head of the NOC of Ukraine, Minister of Youth and Sports of the country Vadym Gutzeit did not rule out boycott the Olympics. To this IOC President Thomas Bach saidthat “a boycott is not in line with our mission.”
In March 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledgedthat “the existing and existing doping control system did not work.” According to the president, it is necessary to recognize that there are “reliably identified” cases of doping in Russia, but the state doping support system here “never was, is not and, I hope, never will be.” The thesis regarding the existence of a “state doping system” in Russia was ultimately not proven.
Duhamel has repeatedly criticized Russian figure skaters, including Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedev (for lack of masks at the Beijing Olympics), Kamil Valiev (for her indicative number), as well as coach Eteri Tutberidze for the fact that she, according to the Canadian, “didn’t follow fair play” in Beijing. In March 2022, the International Skating Union (ISU) removed two commentators for insulting Duhamel, who criticized them for sympathy for Russian skaters. In response, one of them, Briton Simon Reed, called her “a bitch from Canada.”