Evgenia Medvedeva: “The absence of a flag and anthem is extremely demoralizing. It becomes mentally harder to compete because you feel a certain pressure that shouldn’t even be there.”
Evgenia Medvedeva: “Competing Under a Neutral Status Is Harder Than Competing with a Flag”
original source: TASS
Evgenia Medvedeva expressed the challenges of competing under a neutral status without a flag or anthem, while celebrating the progress of Russian Paralympians and the accomplishments of individual skaters like Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik. Here’s a translation of her comments.
At the end of September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted all restrictions on the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC), allowing Russian athletes to once again compete under their flag and with their national anthem.
“The absence of a flag and anthem is extremely demoralizing. It becomes mentally harder to compete because you feel a certain pressure that shouldn’t even be there. That’s why I’m so happy for our Paralympians who have earned the right to stand on the podium, see their flag, and hear their anthem,” said Medvedeva.
She also acknowledged the achievements of Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, who successfully qualified for the Beijing Olympic trials and earned the individual right to compete at the Milano-Cortina Olympics:
“I want to highlight Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, who went through the Olympic trials in Beijing and have earned the right to compete at the Milan Olympics. I’m confident they must have a very productive training process right now.”
Despite the lack of national symbols for some athletes, Medvedeva expressed unwavering support:
“Even though they currently won’t have a flag or anthem, we all know where they’re from, and we’ll cheer for our athletes. The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of achievement for any athlete.”
Related topics: Evgenia Medvedeva
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