The European Fencing Individual Championships, which start on Friday, June 16, were moved from Krakow in Poland to Plovdin in Bulgaria with a quick warning.
Finland’s species size Niko Vuorinen serves as a member of the European Fencing Federation’s Athlete Commission.
– A rumor circulated for a few days in the athletes’ commission that this could happen. With very short notice, in a couple of weeks, a quick decision was made to move the European Championship to a different country. There may be some tactics involved here, because the European Fencing Federation has consistently maintained its position that neither Russians nor Belarusians are welcome, says Vuorinen.
Despite the position of the European Fencing Federation, the International Fencing Federation FIE decided three months ago in March to flag the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to top competitions at its extraordinary congress. More than 60 percent of the member countries voted for the athletes of the two countries.
Vuorinen says that the European Fencing Federation has been at odds with the International Fencing Federation FIE regarding the venue for the European Championships.
– It’s been like a staring contest from both of them. Due to the Olympic points shared in the European Championships, FIE won this staring contest. FIE has ended up voting against the view of the European Union, when the venue changed from Krakow to Plovdin, Vuorinen states.
“Insane financial losses for European sports federations”
The Finnish fencer’s first reaction to the news was that it couldn’t be true. The decision seemed shocking to him – especially since the Russians had not come to the previous World Cup games.
– If this is now a matter of nitpicking, then we are ready to cause other European sports federations insane financial losses. Everyone’s preparation patterns were completely new. However, now we are talking about several hundred athletes.
The reservations of all European fencers went to new finishing training camps at once. In addition, the athletes and maintenance had to book flights to Sofia in a hurry, from where they still had to travel to Plovdin, which is not a big city by European standards.
– Even in Finland, fencers who train professionally pay for their own travel. So this is a direct loss of income for our entire team, who do not invest in money. What remains of this is disbelief, describes Vuorinen.
According to FIE’s press release, by moving the Games, the International Fencing Federation also made it possible for Russians and Belarusians to participate in the European Championships.
Three Russian fencers have registered for the European Fencing Championships under the neutral flag. All of them are young and completely inexperienced fighters.
“Absurd situation that will be resolved once and for all on Friday”
Vuorinen, who has competed in the European Championships more than ten times, considers it special. He reminds that no Russian fencers have been seen in the previous two World Cups, and probably these two or three Russian participants will not even arrive at the competition venue.
– Quite an absurd situation. This matter will be settled once and for all tomorrow, Friday, but at least they haven’t been seen here yet, Vuorinen reveals to Urheilu.
In fencing circles, Vuorinen has even been told that (this whole European Championship place transfer because of a couple of Russians) has mostly been a trick by the Russians.
– Someone pointed out to me that the Russian participants were still named in such series where there were highly ranked Ukrainians. In that case, Ukraine’s toughest fencers will not come to the Games in those series. In that case, this would be a really nasty trick. I don’t know if this is true. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if this came true, Vuorinen reflects.
The Finn says frankly that it is difficult for him to see that the Russian delegation would send the now-announced, completely inexperienced athletes to the European Championships.
– At the same time, their A-class swordsmen are apparently somewhere in Minsk, inside Russia. So this is a really strange situation.
At the end of the day, the European Championship will be decided by union
However, there has been no big news on social media about the EC fencing scandal.
– Within the sport, everyone knows the situation and how problematic it is. The European Championship is such a significant event that there are no options left here. Ultimately, however, this matter (the European Championships) is decided by the International Fencing Federation. I myself have understood that the matter was decided in a “take it or leave it” style, says Vuorinen.
According to the Finn, the last-minute move of the European Championship venue has aroused only negative opinions among sports people.
– From what I’ve talked to the athletes, everyone has been stunned by the matter. For the sake of a few nameless swordsmen who may not even arrive, we go to extremes.
A Russian oligarch who previously ran the fencing association for years Alisher Usmanov resigned from the position of chairman of the International Fencing Federation a year ago after receiving major sanctions from the European Union.
– I don’t think that Usmanov is actually out of the international association’s affairs. He himself would remain himself on some level, but he is not divorced from me.
– At the moment, we need a temporary member of the union (Emmanuel Katsiadakis) chairman. This suggests to me that there is still a chairman out there waiting in the background. I think many things suggest that the person behind it (Usmanov) would still have influence,” Vuorinen speculates.
“We are in a limbo situation because of neutrality thinking”
Vuorinen has had his own line since the outbreak of the war that Russians and Belarusians are not included in sports.
– It’s sad that the IOC has ruled that we should somehow work on the issue. In some other sports, however, the sports federations have acted against the IOC guidelines, such as in athletics. The idea of neutrality has led us to the fact that the list of approved athletes is terribly short and they are the kind of athletes who would not normally participate in prestigious competitions. We have a wonderful limbo situation, says Vuorinen.
If everything goes well, Niko Vuorinen is hunting for success at the European Championships. More than a year ago, he achieved bronze in the highest category Grand Prix competition in Budapest, which is part of the Fencing World Cup series, which is the hardest trick for men in Finnish fencing.
The last-minute change of venue was not to Finn’s liking.
– The fact that suddenly had to make new plans is a bit of a burden. Fencers from different countries have different resources and opportunities. Finland is a small fencing country, which of course limits how you can react to sudden changes.
The men’s individual kalpa is on Friday. The women’s competitions will be held on Saturday.
– I hope for some sense in the operation of international competitions. I hope this pranking would stop and the sport would get the dignity it has had. We live in really strange times, says Vuorinen.