Stars advise the Russian national team to go to the Olympics

The scandal surrounding the national team’s trip to the Winter Olympics continues to gain momentum. And while Ramzan Kadyrov has officially banned all Chechen athletes from going to the Olympics (by the way, the Winter Games will not affect athletes from this region as much), athletes, politicians and showbiz stars unanimously agree on one thing: “We must go and win!”. For many athletes, not going to the Olympics at the peak of their form means one thing – they will never win the Olympics.

There is a lot more to say, but we have tried to gather the most important things in our selection.

Yulia Efimova, three-time Olympic swimming medalist: “Tears in my eyes again… Why? We can write a lot of things… but I just wish all athletes fortitude and patience! And fight! Fight until the very end! Go and win!”

Dmitry Guberniev: “If you have a chance to go to the Olympics – you have to go, perform and win. With love for your country in your heart!”

Rapper ST: “Let it be a post, a toast or a verse.
Silence is hardly gold
After all, the right to fight for our own
No one can take away from us!”

Ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Anna Tikhomirova: “Our athletes just have to go for themselves, for their relatives and friends!”

Ksenia Sobchak, TV presenter: “Dear Mr. Mutko and Mr. Zhukov. It is you who are an insult to Russia. It is you who will not go to Pyeongchang. And rightly so.”

Timati, rapper, producer: “For all Olympic medalists, all menus at all @blackstarburger from now on – no line, free, forever.”

Polina Kitsenko, blogger, triathlete, co-founder of the charity marathon “Running Hearts”: “I think every athlete who is ready, selected and wants to continue fighting should go, and the state should support him morally and financially. Guys, organize a medal harvest there, show what it means “here is the Russian spirit, here is the smell of Russia”, and we will sing the anthem for you ourselves!”.

Maria Shurochkina, 2016 Olympic synchronized swimming champion: “No one has the right to decide, to remake your sporting life for you! For some people it’s not just sports, for some people it’s just their whole life!”

Liaisan Utyasheva, world champion, six-time European champion in rhythmic gymnastics: “It’s a shock. Athletes give their lives and even more… Many of them are not even involved in any scandal. For many, the world has now collapsed and the people around them are just playing politics. It’s unfair and scary … towards children, parents, coaches.”

Ekaterina Varnava, actress: “This is Zhenya Medvedeva. Just don’t get in the way of her and other famous athletes.”

Yana Rudkovskaya, producer: “No one will forbid us to support our Olympians with the Russian flag on the stands”.

What do you think about it?