Lithuania refuses to acknowledge Russian winners of marathon

(MENAFN) Organizers of the Vilnius Marathon in Lithuania have announced that Russian and Belarusian participants will not be recognized in the official results or receive any awards, according to the event’s press office.

Special restrictions have been placed on athletes from these countries: they must hold a Lithuanian residence permit and submit a signed declaration opposing Russia’s military actions. Furthermore, they are barred from prize eligibility and cannot have their nationality listed in the official standings.

According to the marathon’s official rules, “All athletes from Russia and Belarus agree that by participating in the event they are competing without competition and are not eligible for prizes or awards.” They are also required to sign a statement in English or Lithuanian explicitly rejecting Russian hostilities.

When questioned by Russian media outlet Volna about whether these measures amount to discrimination, organizers deflected, stating that prizes are reserved for Lithuanian citizens as the marathon serves as the “closed championship of Lithuania.” However, they confirmed that athletes from other countries would have their nationalities listed.

The Vilnius Marathon, scheduled for September 14, includes various races such as a full marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km, and a children’s 200m run. Entry fees range from €15 to €65, with top prizes reaching €1,500 ($1,700).

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes have faced bans from numerous international competitions, often justified by Western organizers as solidarity with Ukraine. Moscow has criticized such restrictions as politicizing sports.

Lithuania, along with fellow Baltic nations Latvia and Estonia, has been actively cutting cultural ties with Russia. These efforts have intensified since the Ukraine conflict began, amid claims by Western officials that Russia might threaten the region. A recent Lithuanian security report identified Russia, Belarus, and China as the country’s top threats. Moscow, which denies having any aggressive intentions toward the Baltics, has accused the region of harboring “extreme Russophobia” and downgraded diplomatic relations with them in 2023.

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