Today, on April 22, the Russian Olympic Committee hosted an expanded meeting of the ROC Athletes' Commission, which was attended by representatives of the All-Russian sports federations (OSF) in winter sports.
At the beginning of the event, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, two-time Olympic fencing champion Sofya Velikaya spoke about the tasks and priorities of the Commission.
Natalya Pakhalenko
"First of all, I would like to thank all the winter athletes for their successful performance at the 2022 Games in Beijing," said Sofya Velikaya. – The whole country was rooting for you and worried about you, and you gave us all unforgettable emotions. The situation in the world is not easy right now, and sports is no exception! We will definitely discuss this, it is important for us to know your opinion and listen to suggestions on current issues. The more actively our Commission interacts with athletes and all-Russian federations, the more quickly and effectively we will be able to jointly resolve pressing issues.
In addition, Sofia Velikaya told the participants in detail about the recent meeting with the President of the Russian Olympic Committee and the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation.
– The conversation turned out to be very informative, – said the Chairman of the Constitutional Court. – For example, we asked to remove the coronavirus restrictions that apply at sports facilities in order to make the training schedule more convenient and the process more comfortable. They also discussed issues related to payroll, awarding sports grades and titles.
Natalya Pakhalenko
Lada Zadonskaya, Deputy Chairman of the ROC Athletes' Commission, in her speech paid special attention to educational programs that help athletes who are completing or have already completed their professional sports career to adapt to a new stage of life.
– Every year, more than thirty athletes study or take advanced training courses at leading higher educational institutions in Russia, – noted Lada Zadonskaya. – We have established cooperation with MGIMO, MSU, and other universities. We also share with all interested athletes practical information about national (RIOU-based) and foreign educational programs, and talk about opportunities to receive grants from international sports organizations.
During the meeting, the participants discussed a wide range of issues of concern to athletes, from sports to media. Following the discussion, a list of topics was formed for inclusion in the agenda of the expanded meeting (Forum) The ROC Athletes' Commission, scheduled for the end of August – beginning of September this year.
The members of the Commission also recalled the process of developing ZASPORT equipment for participants of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, to which active athletes were involved for the first time at the initiative of the Constitutional Court.
Natalya Pakhalenko
— It was an extremely interesting experience that the athletes were able to get on the eve of their trip to Beijing, – said Sofya Velikaya. – In our common opinion, this approach allows us to take into account the wishes of the Olympians and make the uniform as functional and comfortable as possible.
The key item on the meeting's agenda was the election of new members of the Athletes' Commission. So, the delegates had to vote for 3 representatives of Winter Olympic sports out of 6 candidates. In addition, Elena Isinbayeva and Jonathan Gureiro will continue to work in the Constitutional Court as representatives of the IOC and the EOC. The ROC President also has the opportunity to appoint 5 more athletes to the team.
According to the results of today's voting, the updated ROC Athletes' Commission includes:
Lada Zadonskaya, champion of Russia and multiple winner of the National Cup in speed skating (14 votes), Ekaterina Galkina, multiple winner of the World and European Curling Championships (13), and Olga Denshchikova, participant of the Olympic Games in Sochi, winner of the Skeleton World Cup (9).
The results of the election and the composition of the Athletes' Commission will be officially submitted to the ROC Executive Committee for approval in the near future.
Savva Timofeev, ROC Information Service.
