318 fencers sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Fencing Federation (FIE) with a request to reconsider the decision on the admission of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions.

" This is a clear violation of the position of the IOC. And this once again shows that the interests of Russia are more important than the votes and rights of athletes, especially from Ukraine,"

The letter was signed by 286 current athletes and 32 retired athletes.. Among them are athletes from Europe, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Japan..

Recall, on March 10, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) decided to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete again in tournaments under the auspices of the organization.

It is expected that the lifting of the FIE ban will come into force in April, after which the Russians and Belarusians will be able to travel to the World and European Championships in the summer and participate in the selection for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

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Earlier it was reported that the International Fencing Federation forced the US team to remove the armbands with the Ukrainian flag..