Three prominent Russian fencers who openly criticized Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and moved to the United States are seeking U.S. citizenship in hopes of representing the country at the Paris Olympics this year.
According to USA Today, the move by Konstantin Lokhanov, Sergei Bida, and Violetta Bida has been supported by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and USA Fencing.
Lokhanov, 25, is the former son-in-law of the head of Russia's Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, who condemned Lokhanov's decision to move to the United States.
Lokhanov left Russia one day before Moscow launched its ongoing, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. His wife, fencer Sofia Pozdnyakova, refused to move to the United States, which led to the couple's divorce.
Sergei and Violetta Bida are wanted in Russia on a charge of "illegally leaving their military service." Sergei Bida, 30, competed for Moscow’s Dynamo club, which is affiliated with the Interior Ministry, while his 29-year-old wife represented the Russian Army's Central Sports Club. Athletes representing the two clubs are considered military personnel and have military ranks.
The couple moved to the United States last summer and participated in the U.S. fencing championship, after which the senior coach of the Russian national fencing team, Aleksandr Glazunov was fired.
USA Today cited documents related to the Russian fencers' move to obtain U.S. citizenship.
"All three of these individuals have made sacrifices at great personal cost and put their lives at risk to be able to represent our nation and we ask you to make every effort to support them in the extraordinary circumstance,'' USA Fencing Chief Executive Officer Phil Andrews wrote in a letter to Congress dated January 5.
In early December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Russian athletes who qualify in their sport for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which run from July 26 to August 11, can take part as neutrals, adding that athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine and those contracted with the Russian military are ineligible.
Russian athletes competed at the Tokyo Games under a neutral flag since competitors and Russian authorities were found to have conspired in a massive and "systematic" state doping conspiracy over the previous decade.