The Lithuanian Team’s Withdrawal from the iF3 World Championship
It was a busy few weeks leading up to the International Functional Fitness Federation (iF3) “Super Worlds” World Championship in Budapest, Hungary. More than 800 athletes were scheduled to represent just under 40 countries.
Athletes were packing bags, arranging accommodations, fitting in their final training sessions, and preparing to compete in the annual competition. Because this year’s World Championship was a “Super Worlds,” all the divisions were scheduled to compete under one roof on one weekend, including all the age-group divisions, teams, and the “Open” or “Senior” category, which many competitions label as “Elite Individuals.”
In the days before the competition, the Lithuanian team began to notice violations by the iF3 regarding the “neutral flag policy.” This policy allows athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport to compete in sporting events only under a neutral flag, with the demarcation of “AIN” or Independent Neutral Athletes.
As rosters were being released electronically and “Fitcard” graphics were posted on social media, the Russian flag was displayed, as well as the country designation. This gave the Lithuanian team pause, and concern grew as to whether or not these violations would be addressed and remedied.
Some Background
In 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declared that Russia had breached the Olympic charter, violating the Olympic truce by initiating a war during a period of peace during the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine. The IOC chose to ban Russia as a nation and Russian athletes from competition. The iF3, having followed these recommendations leading up to 2023, altered their allowances and permitted athletes with Russian passports to return to competition after voting with the National Functional Fitness Federations in June 2023.
The Competition Weekend
Check-in for all athletes took place on Thursday night, December 12. At that time, name placards and lanyards were passed out to competing athletes, with the country “Russia” mistakenly printed on the athletes’ items who were competing as “Independent Neutral Athletes.” By the time the iF3 organizers had been made aware of the mistake, these items had already been dispersed. Additionally, during opening ceremonies, the announcers mentioned that certain athletes were competing for the country of “Russia.”
Lithuania Responds
On Friday, the first day of competition, Körnelija Düdaitė, an athlete from Lithuania, was seen wearing a shirt with the words “Make Russia Small Again,” an act that the iF3 committee saw as a violation of the rules of good sportsmanship. The iF3 reached out to the Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation, which said that Düdaitė would not be competing past the first day. Regardless, Düdaitė was asked via email to either remove the shirt or leave the premises. After communication back and forth between iF3 organizers and the Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation, Düdaitė chose to continue to wear the shirt, and the Lithuanian Team chose to stand with her, and as a team, they withdrew from the competition by the end of the day on Friday.
iF3 Takes Responsibility
On Friday evening, the iF3 shared an Instagram post announcing the withdrawal of the Lithuanian team, taking ownership and apologizing for the mistakes that it made.
Looking Ahead
In July 2024, the Masters European Championship was held in Lithuania, and in 2025, the iF3 World Championship is scheduled to be held there as well. At this time, the Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation does not intend to withdraw its commitment to hosting the competition.
Conclusion
The iF3 and the Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation have taken different approaches to the situation. The iF3 has taken responsibility for the mistakes made and has apologized for any inconvenience caused. The Lithuanian Functional Fitness Federation, on the other hand, has chosen to withdraw its team from the competition to maintain its values and principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the neutral flag policy?
- The neutral flag policy allows athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport to compete in sporting events only under a neutral flag, with the demarcation of “AIN” or Independent Neutral Athletes.
- What was the issue with the Lithuanian team’s withdrawal?
- The Lithuanian team withdrew from the competition due to the iF3’s failure to uphold the neutral flag policy, which they felt allowed athletes with Russian passports to demonstrate national symbols and be announced as "Russian athletes."
- What is the iF3’s position on the situation?
- The iF3 believes that sports should be apolitical and that athletes should be judged on their performance, not their nationality. The organization is committed to providing a safe and equal space for all athletes to compete.
