Fencing Federation Led by Billionaire Usmanov Welcomes Russia and Belarus Back for Team Championships

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has authorized athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutral participants in the upcoming European and world team championships, according to reports from state media on Wednesday.

Under the leadership of Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov since 2008, the FIE was one of the first sports organizations to reverse a total ban that was implemented following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

However, despite this decision by the FIE, fencers from Russia and Belarus did not take part in the qualifying events and will not be present at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The state-operated news agency TASS reported that these athletes will be allowed to compete under the FIE banner at the European Championships in Italy this June and the World Championships in Georgia in July.

Ilgar Mamedov, President of the Russian Fencing Federation, expressed his approval of this development but warned that Russia would be sending a “weakened squad” due to ongoing restrictions.

Mamedov told TASS, “We hope the next step will be the full inclusion of all fencers who are still unable to compete, along with their coaches.”

Previously, the FIE had permitted Russian junior fencers to participate as neutral competitors at last month’s world junior championships.