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OLYMPIC CHAMPION AZARYAN FEELS OFFENDED AT IOC, LEAVES OLYMPICS
ITAR-TASS
July 30, 2012 Monday 01:32 AM GMT+4
Russia
A famous Soviet artistic gymnast, three-time Olympic champion Albert
Azaryan leaves the London Olympics ahead of time on Sunday. He
is feeling offended at the decision of the International Olympic
Committee (IOC), which deprived the Olympic veteran of the right to
be a flag bearer of the Armenian delegation at the opening ceremony
of the Summer Olympic Games in London.
"I do not want to stay here any longer. It turned out that I arrived in
London in vain," Azaryan, 83, said in an interview with the Armenian
sport website NEWS.am Sport on Sunday. "If I should not have been an
Armenian flag bearer, then my arrival here (in the British capital
- Itar-Tass) had been senseless. I am coming back to Armenia," the
legendary Armenian athlete confirmed.
The London Olympic organizing committee banned Azaryan to carry the
flag of the Armenian delegation during a festive opening ceremony of
the Olympics, because under a new IOC decision, the flag bearer can
be only an athlete from the current Olympic national team. Otherwise,
this Olympic country is fined.
"I do not have any mood to stay in London. The IOC took away my mood,
banning me to be a flag bearer of my country," Azaryan said.
Azaryan recalled that "in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics he had no
problems in this issue." "It was decided that I will carry the
Armenian national flag and I did it. Before the current Olympics we
were not even warned that the flag bearer should be a member of the
current Olympic national team," Azaryan said with indignation. "The
IOC informed us about this decision already upon arrival in London,
two days before the opening of the Olympics, when all participants
had already arrived in the Olympic Village," he pointed out.
"They were to notify us in advance, but they did not do it. I do
not know why I arrived here at all," the Armenian Olympic veteran
underlined.
ITAR-TASS
July 30, 2012 Monday 01:32 AM GMT+4
Russia
A famous Soviet artistic gymnast, three-time Olympic champion Albert
Azaryan leaves the London Olympics ahead of time on Sunday. He
is feeling offended at the decision of the International Olympic
Committee (IOC), which deprived the Olympic veteran of the right to
be a flag bearer of the Armenian delegation at the opening ceremony
of the Summer Olympic Games in London.
"I do not want to stay here any longer. It turned out that I arrived in
London in vain," Azaryan, 83, said in an interview with the Armenian
sport website NEWS.am Sport on Sunday. "If I should not have been an
Armenian flag bearer, then my arrival here (in the British capital
- Itar-Tass) had been senseless. I am coming back to Armenia," the
legendary Armenian athlete confirmed.
The London Olympic organizing committee banned Azaryan to carry the
flag of the Armenian delegation during a festive opening ceremony of
the Olympics, because under a new IOC decision, the flag bearer can
be only an athlete from the current Olympic national team. Otherwise,
this Olympic country is fined.
"I do not have any mood to stay in London. The IOC took away my mood,
banning me to be a flag bearer of my country," Azaryan said.
Azaryan recalled that "in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics he had no
problems in this issue." "It was decided that I will carry the
Armenian national flag and I did it. Before the current Olympics we
were not even warned that the flag bearer should be a member of the
current Olympic national team," Azaryan said with indignation. "The
IOC informed us about this decision already upon arrival in London,
two days before the opening of the Olympics, when all participants
had already arrived in the Olympic Village," he pointed out.
"They were to notify us in advance, but they did not do it. I do
not know why I arrived here at all," the Armenian Olympic veteran
underlined.