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Russian fencer Bida, spouse seek to compete as part of Team USA at 2024 Paris Olympics

The media reported that the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the USA Fencing federation submitted official requests with the US Congress asking to speed up the procedure of granting American citizenship to Sergey and Violetta Bida

WASHINGTON, January 12. /TASS/. Russia’s Olympic silver medalist in fencing Sergey Bida is seeking to obtain American citizenship and to compete under the banner of Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in July-August in Paris, the USA Today daily reported.

Bida’s spouse, Violetta, told the newspaper in response to a question about whether she and her husband were seeking to represent the American team at the upcoming Olympics: "We are ready."

USA Today added that the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the USA Fencing Federation had filed official requests with the US Congress to expedite the naturalization process to grant US citizenship to Sergey and Violetta Bida, as well as to another Russian fencer, Konstantin Lokhanov.

The daily also cited Jack Wiener, a New York attorney representing the Russian fencers, who explained that in order "to become American citizens in time for the Olympics, set to start July 26, the Senate and House of Representatives would have to pass a bill granting the fencers US citizenship <…> [and then] President [Joe] Biden would have to sign the bill [into law]."

Bida, 30, is the silver medal winner of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in the epee team competition. He was also ranked the world’s top fencer in 2020 in addition to winning three European championship titles in epee fencing. His wife, Violetta Bida (maiden name Khrapina), is the silver medal winner of the 2019 World Fencing Championship in Budapest.

On March 10, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international competitions under a neutral status and in line with recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

At its session on January 25, 2023, the IOC Executive Board put forward a proposal to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Athletes from the countries in question should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status.

The FIE followed the IOC’s recommendations and did not issue neutral status permits to Russian fencers representing top Russian sports franchises CSKA and Dinamo. Only five Russian athletes took part in the 2023 European Fencing Championship in June of last year.

Paris is scheduled to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games between July 26 and August 11, 2024.

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German president dissolves parliament, schedules early elections for February 23

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According to Alexander Stubb, the cables were "significantly damaged"

Bank of Russia raises dollar exchange rate for December 28 to 100.53 rubles

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Russian security official says Poland gave Ukraine unusable helicopters

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Bild said the German Foreign Ministry commissioned an internal government analysis on defense from ballistic missiles

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Expert offers to use navy ships to escort tankers after Eagle S incident

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MOEX, RTS indices fall by 0.33-1.62% on Friday

The yuan exchange rate rose by 0.37% over the day to 13.45 rubles

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The US Department of Defense "has no statement or information to provide," a department’s spokesperson said

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"This position was conveyed to the leadership of a number of NATO and EU countries, including Austria, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, the United States, Turkey, and Germany, as well as the Vatican and Switzerland in direct contacts with them at the highest and highest levels," the commentary says

Trump's words on Greenland escalate tensions in the Arctic — Russian ambassador to Norway

Nikolay Korchunov pointed out that Greenland and Denmark are not the only Arctic Council members feeling pressure on their sovereignty, and are in a difficult position in light of possible moves by the incoming Trump administration

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Both sides affirmed that defense cooperation is a key pillar of Vietnam-Russia relations

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Major General Aleksey Rtishchev said that branches of the US National Naval Military Medical Center are stationed in Ghana and Djibouti where active work is carried out in natural disease foci, isolation and sequencing of pathogens

Houthis say attacked US aircraft carrier in Red Sea, shot down US fighter jet

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Russian forces break through Ukrainian defense lines in Kharkov Region — expert

Marochko added that the operation allowed Russian troops to "expand their zone of control" in the area

Azerbaijan Airlines states its passenger jet crashed due to external mechanical damage

Azerbaijan Airlines earlier announced the suspension of flights to several Russian cities

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Putin forms scientific advisory board under Russian Security Council

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu will lead the board

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Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas attributed responsibility for the Baltic Sea incidents to the tanker fleet transporting Russian oil, even before the investigation concluded

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Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet returns back to Baku shortly after takeoff

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Russian MFA lists nine countries set to become BRICS partners from January 1

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Norwegians who refused to rescue sailors from Ursa Major acted like non-humans — senator

Konstantin Kosachev noted that the West was in the habit of discussing values, but the true Western values are not about legalizing same-sex marriage or overthrowing unwanted regimes or supporting Ukraine

Ukraine’s General Staff admits tense situation along entire frontline

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Osamu Suzuki, who headed Japanese carmaker for 40 years, dies at 94

Osamu Suzuki joined the company in 1958, when he married the daughter of one of its founders and took her last name

Russia’s 2,000th R-7 rocket delivers Resurs-P remote sensing satellite into orbit

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Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

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Russia to convene UNSC meeting in January to discuss Ukraine’s crimes against civilians

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Grozny airport was closed due to Ukrainian UAVs when AZAL plane crashed in Aktau

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Investigative Committee opens case against US mercenary who invaded Kursk Region

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Zelensky defines essence of next summit on Ukraine in four-letter explicit word — Lavrov

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FSB foils series of assassination attempts on senior Russian defense officials

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Slovakia ready to host peace talks on Ukraine — Prime Minister

Robert Fico noted that Bratislava would be ready and hospitable

Finnish police detain oil tanker on suspicion of damaging communication cables

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Politics discussed on board of ISS, but unlike on Earth crew members mingle — cosmonaut

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Andrey Marochko added that Russian servicemen "start preparing the way for further advancement southwest of this locality"

Court fines TikTok $28,800 for violating procedure for restricting access to information

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US disrupts payment of Russian contribution to ICRC budget — Foreign Ministry

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Scholz says he would like to hold phone talks with Putin again

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IN BRIEF: Putin talks to reporters about Oreshnik missile, natural gas transit

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Russian sailors from Ursa Major freighter departed from Spain to Russia

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Foreign powers seek to provoke mass riots in Syria — source

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Plane crash in Kazakhstan claims 38 lives

29 people had been hospitalized

What is known about Russia’s retaliatory strike on Ukraine after attack on Rostov Region

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported the fires in Solomensky and Shevchenkovsky districts

Archaeologists discover fossilized remains of palm-sized cat in China

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Spanish coordination center orders Norwegian captain not to take Ursa Major sailors

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Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia fail to agree on moving Geneva talks — Russian MFA

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Ukrainian troops struggling to escape being trapped in Lozovaya in Kharkov region — expert

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Russia practically eliminates remnants of Ukraine’s Air Force — source

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Project 885M latest nuclear-powered submarine Arkhangelsk joins Russian Navy

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Decision-making centers in Kiev may be targets of Russia’s strikes, says Lavrov

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Press review: Putin outlines Russia's future goals and Tehran faces energy blackout riots

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, December 20th

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Serbia’s Vucic suggests Trump may bring ceasefire in Ukraine closer

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Parliament impeaches South Korean acting president

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Flydubai cancels flights to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi until January 2 and 3, respectively

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Ukraine's national debt reaches record $159.74 bln

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Russian MFA denies reports of talks with Baku, Astana on plane crash near Aktau

It also indicated that specialized agencies are investigating the causes of the crash

Georgian PM sees US sanctions on party founder as reward for protecting national interests

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