Two-time Olympic biathlon champion from Russia Dmitry Vasiliev has proposed the idea of holding an alternative Olympics for excluded athletes. He supports this initiative and believes that there should be worthy prizes at such competitions to motivate the participants.
«Nothing can compare to the Olympic Games. But to somehow support our excluded athletes, so they do not feel sad and do not lose motivation, this is a very correct initiative. It is essential to have good prizes at these competitions - on the level of world champions and Olympic champions.
The only thing is that information about such competitions needs to be announced in advance, before the start of the preparation period, so that athletes can specifically prepare for this tournament and know what they are competing for.
Vasiliev believes that this will be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the vitality of athletes from excluded countries and to envy their strong results. It is also worth noting that the FIS Council voted against the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the qualifying competitions for the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan regarding the status of AIN.