Lithuanian team pulls out of fitness event over Russian dispute
The Lithuanian team withdrew from the iF3 World Championships following the disqualification of Kornelija Dudaite. This decision was made shortly after the athlete wore a shirt that criticised Russia.
The World Functional Fitness Championships in Budapest began with controversy. Russian athletes, in accordance with the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee, were to compete as independent and neutral. However, the name Russia appeared on the athletes' cards, sparking protests.
Kornelija Dudaite from Lithuania, competing in the Masters category, expressed her dissatisfaction with the organisers' mistakes. In protest, she wore a shirt with the slogan "make Russia small again," which led to her disqualification.
The same shirt was worn last month by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The slogan is a paraphrase of Donald Trump's campaign slogan.
The organisers wanted the athlete to remove the shirt. They immediately threatened her with disqualification. They also demanded that Dudaite remove from social media the photos in which she was wearing it. When she refused, she was eliminated from the competition.
Controversy over the Lithuanian's shirt
Following Dudaite's disqualification, the Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation decided to withdraw from the championships. In a statement on Instagram, they emphasised that the organisers did not adhere to the "neutral flag" policy, which is contrary to the federation's values.
Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation has decided to withdraw from the World Championships, that is being held in in Budapest (Hungary) due to the organizers’ negligent attitude towards the "neutral flag" policy. Athletes were allowed to demonstrate the national symbols of the aggressor state during the competition – it was clearly visible in the live broadcast as well as the name of this country was mentioned continuesly [sic]. This organizers’ negligence that ignores "neutral flag" policy, is absolutely incompatible with our values, therefore the Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation recommended national team members withdraw from the competition.
The iF3 organisers admitted their mistake and expressed regret for the situation. They emphasised that sports should remain apolitical and open to everyone. They committed to improvements in the future.
