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Fencing-Hundreds of fencers issue plea to IOC over Russia, Belarus decision

MANCHESTER, England : More than 300 fencers have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and fencing's global federation to reconsider allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions, calling it a "catastrophic error".

A letter sent to IOC President Thomas Bach and Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the interim president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), comes just days before the window for 2024 Paris Olympic qualifying opens.

It was signed by 318 fencers - 286 still competing, the remainder retired - from across Europe, plus the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Japan.

The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but is now reluctant to exclude their athletes from the Olympics entirely for fear of a return to the boycotts of the Cold War era.

It set out a pathway in January for competitors from Russia and Belarus to earn Olympic slots through Asian qualifying and to compete as neutral athletes in Paris next year.

The decision to clear Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international fencing events was made on March 10 at the FIE Extraordinary Congress.

"With complete disregard for athletes' voices, you have permitted both Russia and Belarus back into FIE competitions, as well as a suspected tournament hosted on Russian soil," the letter from the fencers said.

"This is an apparent break of the IOC's position ... and once again exposes Russian interests outweighing the voice and rights of athletes, especially those from Ukraine."

The inclusion of Russia and ally Belarus has already muddied the Olympic qualifying landscape, with Germany announcing it was bowing out of hosting an FIE World Cup and Poland

Read more on channelnewsasia.com