Linn Svahn hints that the Olympic champion doesn’t really know what Russia is up to.
Veronika Stepanova shook hands with Vladimir Putin in April. EPA/AOP
Ski star Linn Svahn give back to Russia Veronika Stepanova in the direction of.
Stepanova has loudly defended Russia, which attacked Ukraine, and posed as the president Vladimir Putin alongside. The skier who won the Olympic relay gold in Beijing has also criticized Norwegian and Swedish skiers and the International Ski Federation.
Statements are marked by confrontation between Russia and the West.
– It is often the case that the one who says he knows much more than others actually knows significantly less than others. The more self-confident you are, the less you know about things, says Svahn For Expressen.
Stepanova commented in an interview with SVT last week that Sweden should accept Russia as the country is. The skier has emphasized that politics should not prevent athletes from competing.
Svahn disagrees.
– War is a bigger thing than sport. Playing sports is my whole life, but not for everyone.
Get the facts straight
A shoulder injury has kept Linn Svahn on the sidelines for a year and a half already. PASI LEISMA
Svahn has previously expressed that he does not want the Russians back in the skiing World Cup until the war ends.
The Swede emphasizes that Stepanova has the right to her opinions, but the issues on the table are big.
– I find it worrisome to support a brutal regime that is at war against another country.
– Nowadays, you can say anything on social media. Freedom of speech is one of the finest things and must be protected. But so must human rights. It is life-threatening if you don’t find out the facts.
Svahn is trying to return to the tracks in the coming season after a severe shoulder injury. The Swede was injured in the spring and winter of 2021, and has not competed that well. Svahn plans to return to the World Cup in December.
Stepanova, on the other hand, will not start in the World Cup, because the International Ski Federation continued to ban Russians and Belarusians because of the war.