Four-time Olympic champion in biathlon Alexander Tikhonov does not intend to remain silent after Russian athletes were denied participation in Finland due to political circumstances. He resolutely condemned this step, expressing doubts about the idea of friendship between countries. Finland's refusal to allow Russians to participate in sports events reminded the athlete of the bombing of Hiroshima that occurred in 1945.
"I would turn this country of cursed Chukhons into Hiroshima. It will be a lesson for all other countries. We should think about sports, not politics. They have mixed everything up. I have said since the times of the USSR that we have no friends except soldiers and sailors. And we thought that Finland, the Baltic states were our friends and brothers. I always knew this was not the case. We have finally seen it."
In this same bright passage through the political field, a freestyle skier from Russia, who aspires to participate in the 2026 Olympics, has now found herself in the same situation. Anastasia Tatalina was offended by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation for refusing her participation due to her military affiliation and expressed support for her homeland. It is known that the athlete even received a telegram from President Putin himself, but her actions on social media and posts supporting Russia's military actions turned out to be non-canonical for many.