Russia: two fencers based in the US are wanted

They participated in the American Championship without Moscow’s consent. On Tuesday, Russia put a pair of fencers on the wanted list, and the participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is under discussion.

Two cards appeared in the Interior Ministry’s wanted database for Sergei Bida and his wife Violetta Brida, fencers who left Russia for the United States after the Russian offensive began in Ukraine. The spouses are wanted “under an article of the Criminal Code,” the ministry indicates, without specifying what charges have been brought against the two fencers.

Olympic medalist 2020.

Sergei Brida is a team silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and Violetta Khrapina is a team silver medalist at the World Championships in Budapest 2019. The couple live in California. According to the state news agency TASS, Sergei Brida is an officer of the Russian National Guard and an active military man, and the couple had to obtain permission from Russian sports authorities before participating in the US championship.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (July 26-August 11) under several conditions: under a neutral banner, excluding team competitions, unless they actively support Russian athletes. offensive in Ukraine and whether they have overcome the qualification barrier. To date, only 11 people are involved in this case: eight Russians and three Belarusians against about sixty Ukrainians, according to the IOC.