He couldn't let this pass.
Dmytro Pidruchnyi is very angry with Simon Fourcade, and he says it openly.
The 2019 pursuit world champion, who was then still opposed on the snow to the Frenchman before the latter's retirement the same year, went on to insults on social networks, including even Martin, the most famous of the brothers.
"Simon Fourcade's interview with Russian journalists really scandalized me," says the man who took up arms against the invader.
First of all, Martin and Simon, go to hell, I hope your children never feel the pain that Ukrainian children have experienced.
Children who left their homes, who heard the sound of explosions, who saw their mothers raped and loved ones killed.
I'm sorry I voted for Martin on the IOC Athletes' Commission, that such great athletes turn out to be shitty people.
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A post shared by Dmytro Pidruchnyi (@dmytro.pidruchnyi)
In question: the statements of the eldest of the Fourcade brothers, last Friday on the Russian channel Match TV.
The 2009 world champion in the mixed relay had already shown his support for the Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Junior World Championships a month ago.
“In the United States, when the American officials started tearing down the flag, the symbols of Russia, I saw the great distress, the sadness of the athletes and the coaches.
They are not guilty of this war, they were taken hostage to the situation.
We must distinguish between the people and the government.
»
“It was I who gave the interview and not my brother”
In his anger, Dmytro Pidruchnyi attacked Martin Fourcade, who had nothing to do with it.
Recently elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission, the five-time Olympic champion reacted to the Ukrainian's comments in response to his Instagram post: "I understand your anger and your sadness but it does not allow you to insult someone because that you don't agree with what his brother said!
In case you haven't noticed, my name is Martin and I haven't given an interview lately!
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Simon Fourcade understands the invective of the Ukrainian but nevertheless defends himself: “It is counterproductive to exclude Russian athletes.
Instead of ostracizing them and pointing the finger at them, we should rather show them that we understood that they had nothing to do with it, he said on RMC on Sunday.
I gave the interview, not my brother.
He (Pidruchnyi) talks about my brother to give more importance to his message.
I'm big and strong enough to stand by what I say. I maintain that excluding Russian athletes is counterproductive.
But I am against the war and against the invasion that the Russian government is making in Ukraine.
We can be against war and against the sanctioning of athletes.
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🎙️🇬🇧 Simon Fourcade: "If Dmytro Pidruchnyi wants to blame someone, it's me and not my brother at all. What I said (about Russian athletes), I stand by it. Including my brother in this controversy is completely stupid."
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- The Big Guess of Sport - RMC (@GGsportRMC) April 3, 2022