The French biathlon legend meets news in the misty World Cup town of Oberhof. Lately he has had a lump in his stomach. The Frenchman – who has always been honest and outspoken – feels that he has not said what he means. He is ready to throw himself into a heated debate, which he knows will create headlines and direct the spotlight on him. – There are many who will understand and many who will not. I am not saying that I have the truth and stand above others, but as a human being I have a personal view on it. Today I feel that it is ok to talk about it, says Fourcade. EXECUTIVE REPRESENTATIVE: Martin Fourcade. Photo: Henrik Myhr Nielsen / news In advance, news had been told that we could talk to Fourcade for ten minutes. It quickly became close to half an hour. The Frenchman had a lot on his mind and shared his honest opinion about the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes. – As an athlete representative and as a sportsman, I believe we should consider allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition. That is the main message. I have been elected to the IOC to defend athletes. And I feel a little bit like I’m not defending those athletes. Of course they are Russian and Belarusian, but they are also performers. I think they should also be defended on that basis. Will not be accused of Russian support The 34-year-old is active in sports politics. He sits as president of the athlete commission for the Olympics in Paris in 2024 and is an athlete representative in the International Olympic Committee, together with Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen. Both shared their views during the contentious IOC meeting on January 19, which made major headlines in the international media. Fourcade emphasizes that he is not speaking as a member of the IOC. He is critical of the fact that the organization has not gone further in making Russian athletes neutral in the past. – I fully support the Ukrainian people. This war is terrible. There is no part of me that understands the Russian government or its actions, says Fourcade, before he continues: – The reason why I feel it is okay to talk about it now is because no one can misunderstand my position on it. I have fought against Russia throughout my career around doping issues. I was not the only one, but one of the few who took a public position against the Russian federation and against the Russian authorities on doping issues. I sometimes had a fear because of that, because you never knew what was going to happen. But I am not going to give anyone the opportunity to accuse me of being pro-Russian, he says. Fourcade received death threats due to criticism of Russia after the doping scandal in Sochi in 2014. Fourcade: The athletes cannot be blamed There are still many who want a piece of the man from Céret in Oberhof. Several people stop him on the way to the interview with news. Some want to say hello and have a chat, others want to take a selfie. He misses the people, but not to compete. TV 2 expert and long-time rival Ole Einar Bjørndalen has described him as a performer with clear opinions. GOLD WHOLESALER: Martin Fourcade won five Olympic golds during his distinguished career. Three of them came during the Olympics in Pyeongchang five years ago. Photo: Eric Gaillard / Reuters Now he is extremely clear that athletes should not be denied competition because of their passport or because your president or your country does things you don’t support. He believes it would be terrible not to be able to compete because the president or the home country commits actions that one does not support. – Sometimes I’m proud to be French and sometimes I’m ashamed. Just like for you Norwegians. Sometimes you are proud to be Norwegian, sometimes you say “damn, my country makes choices I don’t support”. Believes in the unifying power of sport The 34-year-old Frenchman says he sees both sides of the issue and fully understands those who do not want a Russian and Belarusian return to sport. Ukraine’s sports minister, Vadym Huttsajt, says they will consider a boycott if the Russians are allowed to participate in the Paris Olympics in 2024. Several Norwegian profiles have taken the same line. Fourcade believes it is a step in the wrong direction. – I am an advocate for performers to have and use their voices. I want them to have a clear voice. But it becomes difficult when athletes have to choose who they think they should compete against and not, says Fourcade, who believes that it should not be up to athletes to decide who they compete against. The 34-year-old believes that a boycott is not a position the athletes should take. He believes in the Olympic values. – We can gather across different religions, countries and mindsets. Inside this peaceful arena, the sports arena, we can show the world that we can be happy with each other and fight against each other with the values of sport. I have defended that from day one. I would betray myself and what I stand for if I do not defend it. On Friday, around 30 sports ministers from Europe, Japan, the USA and Canada met. The signals afterwards have been that they agree that the Russians should not be allowed to. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has expressed that she does not want to see them in the Olympics in 2024. – I will be very embarrassed for my country if my country decides to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing, says Martin Fourcade to news . – We are incredibly proud to show the world how beautiful France is. And I cannot understand how we can welcome the world without the Russian and Belarusian athletes. For me, it is not something we can stand for. POPULAR: Many media wanted to interview Martin Fourcade when he appeared in Oberhof, but it was only news he wanted to talk to about the Russia problem. Photo: Anders Skjerdingstad He is not speaking on behalf of the Olympics in Paris in 2024 and has no timeline for when there will be an answer, but believes the discussion must be held. – If what we are talking about is not for Paris, it will be for Cortina or Brisbane. There is no deadline for this topic. It is not about when – but whether or not they will be allowed to compete. And I think they should be allowed. – Excluding has never been the solution. He believes there is not a good enough reason to ban athletes because they have a link to the country’s military. Fourcade himself was connected to the French defense, but emphasizes that he never competed as a soldier. – What do you say to those who believe that allowing Russians to participate is propaganda for Putin’s war? asks news. – We cannot exclude because of that. It won’t be fair. For me, it is also important that Russian people see Russian athletes and athletes from the rest of the world can create something together. That they stand for something bigger. The values the country stands for are not good, but exclusion has never been the solution. Of course they will make a profit from it, but there are other elements to it as well. It is important to talk to Russian athletes. – They are ambassadors for Russia outside the country’s borders, but they are also ambassadors for the rest of the world in Russia when they are at home, Fourcade believes. Supports Jacobsen: – Easy to say nothing The French 34-year-old has followed the debate that has raged in the Norwegian press after Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen expressed that athletes should not be discriminated against on the basis of passports. The criticism she received is one of the reasons why he is doing this interview with news. – She took a stand and had a hard time. It is not easy with so much pressure and criticism. I think the way she was treated is unfair. Fourcade says that he has spoken to Jacobsen afterwards. They sit together in the IOC’s athletes’ committee as two of ten elected representatives. – I know of many Norwegian athletes who are against it. But I also know of many Norwegian athletes who are in favor of a comeback, who don’t want to say anything because they don’t want the same reactions that Astrid got. It is easier not to say anything, says Fourcade – and continues: – We live in a world where everything is black and white. There are no gray areas or shades. You can’t talk about wanting the athletes back without people thinking you support the war. I do not and I will never support it.
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Martin Fourcade wants the Russians back – supports Uhrenholdt Jacobsen – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
