Armenian skier Mikael Mikaelyan, who was fined for hiding the sponsor's logo – the word “Azerbaijan” – during the Tour de Ski tournament held in Italy, expressed "pride" in this action.
Modern.az reports that the Armenian skier, in an interview with Armenia's “Radio Liberty”, stated that he took this step intentionally.
According to the athlete, the competition uniform was presented to him approximately two hours before the start, and after seeing the name of our country on the chest area, he decided not to compete with this inscription.
“I covered the name and started the race. The jury noticed this after the competition. They stated that they understood my feelings, but according to the rules of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), all sponsor logos must be visible”, – Mikaelyan noted.
It should be noted that, according to FIS rules, hiding sponsor logos in official tournaments is considered a violation, and this results in a fine. Interestingly, his fine will be paid by the Armenian Ski and Snowboard Federation.
It should be recalled that some time ago, during a competition, he covered the inscription “Azerbaijan” on his uniform with adhesive tape. For this action, the athlete was fined by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
