EFC decision
European Fencing Federation suspends Russia and Belarus
The European Fencing Federation has suspended the member federations of Russia and Belarus. photo
© Marius Becker/dpa
The European Fencing Federation (EFC) has suspended the member federations of Russia and Belarus.
The European Fencing Federation (EFC) has suspended the member federations of Russia and Belarus.
In addition, fencers and officials from these countries are no longer allowed to take part in events and tournaments of the continental federation due to the ongoing Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the EFC Congress decided on the sidelines of the European Games in Kraków. The application of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation was accepted by a majority of the 43 member federations.
On the other hand, fencers from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete as neutral athletes in tournaments organized by the World Federation (FIE). After the fencers from these two countries were excluded from the European Games, the Fie moved the European Individual Championships, which were important for qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, from Poland to Bulgaria at short notice.
The European Team Championship, on the other hand, will be held in Kraków as planned until Thursday, since Russian and Belarusian teams are generally not allowed to compete in competitions worldwide according to the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee. At the European Games, Russians and Belarusians are completely excluded from all sports.