Sochi Olympiad prize winner believes that Russian athletes have no chance at 2026 games

The silver medalist of the Olympic Games in Sochi Nikolai Olyunin said that even in case of admission of Russian athletes for games-2026 in Milan, they have practically no chance of victory. According to the snowboarder, the reason is the lack of international competitive practice.

In a conversation with the publication of sibnovosti.ru, Olyunin called the situation with the selective admission of athletes humiliating.

“Athletes who do not go to the nearest Olympic Games, of course, are very uncomfortable, unfair and insulting when some athletes from Russia, some federations go to the Olympics, but some are not. Of course, we rejoice for everyone who could break through. Snowboarders do not have this. This selective story is completely incomprehensible to me – Russia either goes or does not go, ”he commented.

Nikolai Olyunin also He noted that over the years of isolation, Russian athletes lost the opportunity to compete with the strongest athletes of the world. Training only inside the country leads to stagnation.

“If this happens that the team will go, then, in my opinion, they have no chance, because practice for 3-4 years is exclusively among Russian athletes, they ride with each other. This practice is not quite high quality, there is no development, ”he emphasized.

At the same time, Olyunin expressed the hope that snowboarders will still be able to go to the Olympics.

Recall that the International Olympic Committee did not exclude the possibility of participating in Russian athletes in games-2026, but the final decision will be made by the International Federation of Sports and Snowboarding (FIS). The Olympiad in Milan and Cortina-D'Ampezzo will be held from February 6 to 22, 2026.

We add, Nikolai Olyunin is a Russian snowboarder who performs in a snowboard-cross. A native of Krasnoyarsk, co -chair of the Popular Front in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.