Three famous Russian fencers have decided to become US citizens and compete for the American team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
How tells BB.LV, this is Sergey and Violetta Bida, and Konstantin Lokhanov. Their decision was supported by the United States Fencing Association and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
Twenty-five-year-old Konstantin Lokhanov is the son-in-law of the head of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov. The athlete left Russia the day before the invasion of Ukraine. His wife, fencer Sofya Pozdnyakova, a two-time Olympic champion, refused to leave Russia, and the couple divorced.
USA Today journalists met 25-year-old Konstantin Lokhanov in San Jose, California. The athlete, in a conversation with the publication, spoke out against the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine: “They started the war by killing peoples and thinking that this is normal.”
In Russia, a criminal case has been opened against Sergei and Violetta Bida under the article on unauthorized abandonment of a military unit. The couple is wanted, as announced by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. They were listed in Dynamo and CSKA, which belong to the Russian Guard and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
USA Today journalists spoke with 30-year-old Sergei and 29-year-old Violetta Bida, who have been married for two years, in a cafe in northern California. In a conversation with the publication, Violetta said that she “felt freedom” when she set foot on American soil. According to her, the couple is ready to represent the United States in competitions. The athletes asked not to disclose their exact location due to an open criminal case.
New York lawyer Jack Wiener, who represents the fencers, said the law firm Covington & Burling has begun communicating with congressmen so that the Russians can obtain US citizenship. According to the lawyer, in order for athletes to compete at the Olympics as part of the US team, Congress needs to pass a bill granting them American citizenship, the document must be signed by US President Joe Biden.
Earlier, three Russian fencers signed documents allowing them to compete in domestic American tournaments organized by USA Fencing. To do this, they, in particular, stated that they do not support the invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine. In the USA, all three are engaged in coaching.
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