It has already been reported that at the beginning of the week, Latvia‘s participation in the Beijing Games in the men’s competition was allocated to leading skier Raimo Vīgants and Bikš, but later a decision was made to postpone the second quota, but on Thursday LSF board member Jānis Puida confirmed The LSF has approved Slotiņš to participate in the Beijing Olympics instead of Trouser.
Trousers protested against the decision in the hope that they would be able to recover the quota originally allocated.
The LOK announced on Thursday that the management of the LSF and the representative of the skier Zintis Bikše will be heard at the meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday, after which a decision will be made on the use of the cross-country skiing quota.
On Friday, LSF Vice President Gunārs Ikaunieks and skier I. Bikše’s representative – coach Zintis Bikše – were heard at the LOK Executive Committee meeting. After hearing and taking note of the information provided by the invitee on the use of the participation quota, the LOK Executive Committee decided to invite the LSF Board, taking into account the requirement of Article 44.4 of the Olympic Charter that “the National Olympic Committee may enter competitors only on the recommendation of national federations” to convene a meeting of the Board remotely until 12 noon on January 23, 2022, during which discussions with Zinti and / or Indulis Bikši and Roberts Slotiņš and / or his representative, re-examination of the issue of using the membership quota and “formulating a duly substantiated federation decision” .
The LOK statement decided to remotely involve Edgars Pukinska, a member of the LOK Executive Committee, and Gunta Vaičulis, the chairman of the LOC Athletes’ Commission, as well as, if possible, a professional mediator.
The LOK statement states that, given that the federation of the sport in question is fully responsible, both in practice and in law, for the nomination of athletes for participation in the Olympic Games, the LSF decision taken in this way will be enforceable.
The LOK Board is instructed to follow the decision made by the LSF within the framework of the Latvian Olympic Delegation when determining the use of the second participation quota in cross-country skiing for men.
Puida has already reported that the change in quota ownership was explained by the fact that Bixch was not allocated a quota for misrepresenting the press and undermining the federation’s image. The skier’s team does not have a good relationship with the LSF, and, as the newspaper “Latvijas Avīze” reported this week, the athlete’s father and coach Zintis Bikše have consulted with the police about the latest disputes over financial issues.
“Concerns that his actions at the Olympic Games will have a negative impact on the team’s microclimate could bring disgrace not only to the LSF, but to the Latvian team together, which would undermine Latvia’s image as such,” the LSF spokesman said.
It is disputed that the skier did not receive funding from the federation, even though the municipality of Madona transferred four thousand euros to the LSF for four of its athletes, each of whom is entitled to one thousand. Puida, on the other hand, told the newspaper that the money was available and was not being spent for other purposes, but that the athlete had not applied for it in advance, nor had he reported the expenses.
In a conversation with the agency LETA, Bikše stated that only on Wednesday he learned from the mass media that he was no longer a participant in the Olympic Games and on Thursday received an extraordinary meeting of the LSF Wednesday board to return the quota to the next athlete could create an unfavorable microclimate “.
Trousers admitted that “there was nothing unreasonable there, everything was true. Even if it weren’t, is that the right reason to take away the quota?” said Bikše, pointing out that he was well ahead of Slotiņš in the qualification.
In the women’s competition, the quota was allocated to Patricia Eiduk, Kitty Auziņa, Estere Wolf, Samanta Krampe and Baiba Bendika.
The Beijing Olympics will take place from February 4 to 20.
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