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Two-time Olympic Champ Vic Wild says is back with Russian national snowboarding team

The head coach of the Russian national snowboarding team said earlier that the Russian Federal Micro-Biological Agency had declined a certain permission for the snowboarder citing his health issues

© Yegor Aleev/TASS

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Two-time Olympic Champion in snowboarding Vic Wild announced on Wednesday that he would continue performing for the Russian national team and thanked the Sports Ministry for help.

"If you were wondering: I still snowboard for Russia," US-born snowboarder wrote in his Instagram account. "Thanks to the Russian Sports Ministry for resolving the issue."

Denis Salagayev, the head coach of the Russian national snowboarding team, told TASS earlier that the Russian Federal Micro-Biological Agency (FMBA) had declined a certain permission for the snowboarder citing his health issues.

The 32-year-old snowboarder was unable to join the national team without that particular permission from the FMBA and Wild repeatedly stated later that he had no health issues whatsoever.

Wild was born in the United States and initially competed for the US team. He married Russian snowboarder Alena Zavarzina in 2011 and applied for the Russian citizenship, which was granted to him.

The US-born snowboarder have been competing for the Russian national team since 2012 winning two Olympic gold medals at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi and the bronze of the 2013 World Championship.

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