Fencing: Ukraine raises alarm over Putin’s soldier on world fencing body’s neutral roaster
The International Fencing Federation confirmed this week that it will allow the participation of Individual Neutral Athletes in all its official competitions, in line with the Olympic Charter and its own statutes.
The organisation underlines its commitment to peace, fairness, and unity in sport.
The decision means that athletes who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to compete in key events on the international calendar, including the upcoming 2025 Junior and Cadet World Championships and the 2025 Senior World Championships. “Our approach is guided by our duty to protect athletes and preserve the integrity of competitions. It is firmly rooted in the Olympic Charter and in our mission to safeguard the values of fencing,” stated the FIE Executive Committee.
Among the conditions established to obtain AIN status are the submission of a sworn declaration of neutrality, an explicit commitment to support the FIE’s and the Olympic Movement’s mission of peace, and full acceptance of the federation’s regulations, statutes, and guidelines. In addition, athletes must compete under the neutral AIN designation, using the flag and anthem of the governing body.
In this context, the FIE has published the list of athletes authorised to compete in the upcoming World Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, which includes neutral-designated athletes from Russia and Belarus. Among them is Russian fencer Sofya Velikaya, an officer with the rank of major in her country’s Armed Forces and a trusted representative of President Vladimir Putin during the 2024 presidential elections.
As reported by United24 Media, her inclusion has sparked criticism from the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, which had previously requested her exclusion from the FIE. “Sofya Velikaya is a Russian citizen, a major in the Russian Armed Forces (as confirmed by the official CSKA website), and a trusted representative of Putin during the 2024 elections. According to IOC criteria, such a person cannot be recognised as neutral and has no right to participate in the international sports movement, let alone claim to represent the interests of athletes worldwide,” the committee stated last week.
Ukrainian sports authorities, including the Olympic committee, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ukrainian Fencing Federation, have asked the FIE to verify the facts presented and act to prevent Velikaya from participating in the athletes’ commission elections. They also accuse the aggressor states of instrumentalising sport as a tool of propaganda, rather than as a space for dialogue and unity.
The review of applications from athletes seeking AIN status will be carried out by the FIE’s Eligibility Review Panel, with final approval from the executive committee. Any breach of the neutrality rules will result in the immediate revocation of the status, exclusion from competitions, and possible additional sanctions in accordance with the regulations.
The policy adopted by the FIE is based on a clear premise: to protect athletes from external circumstances beyond their control. “Athletes deserve to be protected, not punished,” the official statement emphasises. The institution acknowledges that many athletes face realities beyond their will and should not bear the consequences of geopolitical conflicts.
With this regulation, the federation seeks to ensure that “no athlete is unfairly excluded, that all are treated equitably, and that sport remains a space of hope, not hostility.” The FIE thus reaffirms its role as a promoter of reconciliation and understanding through sport, in line with the guidance of the International Olympic Committee. “The decision responds to the shared belief that athletes should not suffer the consequences of geopolitical events beyond their control,” the text concludes. For the FIE, fencing must remain a bridge, not a barrier. “Every athlete who embraces peace deserves a place in our family,” concludes the statement from the world’s top fencing body.
