A Russian Olympic reliable’s dust-up with a Russian-born wrestling champion representing Albania has sparked an argument within the Russian carrying international because the Kremlin continues to foyer for a go back to the Olympic Video games.
Chermen Valiev, a wrestler born in Russia’s republic of North Ossetia, had prior to now competed for Russia however modified his carrying nationality to Albania simply prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) reliable Mikhail Mamiashvili, who heads the nationwide wrestling federation, were given into an altercation with Valiev on the Eu freestyle wrestling championships in Bratislava, the place Valiev defeated a Russian athlete within the ultimate.
Video of the incident displays Mamiashvili aggressively putting the gold medal round Valiev’s neck all the way through the award rite and pronouncing one thing that visibly upsets the athlete.
Mamiashvili, himself an Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, then more or less grabs Valiev by means of each arms, and the athlete frowns. He then shoves the champion’s bouquet into Valiev’s arms and walks away.
“[Mamiashvili] referred to as Valiev a traitor, accompanying his phrases with profanities,” reported the Wrestling Russia Telegram channel, the primary outlet to hide the incident.
Valiev later showed this, pronouncing he was once “stunned.”
Russia has been barred from the Olympics and different primary world carrying competitions because of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
And even if the Kremlin introduced plans to release the Global Friendship Video games — a substitute for the Olympics — the undertaking was once not on time and sooner or later shelved.
President Vladimir Putin, who’s well-acquainted with Mamiashvili and for my part awarded him with the Order of Benefit for the Place of birth within the Kremlin closing yr, has again and again criticized world carrying government for allegedly politicizing sports activities.
“[Valiev] was once on our nationwide workforce only a yr in the past. The nationwide workforce skilled him. However as of late he is underneath the Albanian flag with tears in his eyes. Perhaps that embarrassed him? Other folks like Chermen don’t care — what flag? These days it is Albanian, the next day to come it will be Bulgarian,” Mamiashvili mentioned.
“Those are younger guys who, sadly, don’t absolutely grab the price of the banner on their shoulders. They don’t perceive the duty to the rustic that made them and gave them alternatives. Sure, occasionally in tricky prerequisites, however nonetheless, nice Russia made them athletes,” Mamiashvili mentioned.
On the other hand, the reliable’s habits sparked outrage from former Russian nationwide workforce trainer Dzambolat Tedeev, who mentioned the habits of the ROC Govt Committee member “is going past all bounds.”
“The incident doesn’t simply for my part shame the top of the federation — it damages the popularity of all of Russia, as it’s being broadcast reside throughout Europe,” the previous trainer of the Russian workforce mentioned. “How can one no longer take into consideration this and undermine the rustic’s symbol at the world degree? Perhaps that’s what betrayal seems like?”
Deputies from Valiev’s house area of North Ossetia referred to as the incident “brazen” and “unjust,” and demanded that the Russian sports activities ministry behavior an investigation and that Mamiashvili factor an apology.
“On the very least, we think an apology to Chermen Valiev and to all freestyle wrestling fanatics, and particularly, to the Ossetian other folks,” mentioned Ossetian MP Soslan Bestaev.
