Ukraine lost the first sumo champion in its history - the athlete became a Russian
This was reported by the Western Ukrainian tabloid Express , citing the president of the Ukrainian sumo federation, Sergei Korobko.
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According to him, her former colleagues on the national team learned about Davydko’s transfer at the World Championships in Mongolia, where the athlete arrived as part of the Russian team.
“She ran away from us and sold herself to them for a carrot. I was, of course, aware of this problem. She is from Crimea and has long considered herself Russian,” the sports functionary complains.
The president of the sports organization claims that Davydko violated the rules of the transition.
“I warned the international federation: you can’t just leave. There must be either compensation from our federation, or a three-year quarantine for the athlete. I described all this in a letter. But the president of the world federation is already a very old man,” he said.
According to the head of the federation, Davydko received permission to transfer, despite the protest from Ukraine.
“And this despite the fact that it was I who brought her into the sport. It was I who found her at the Kharkov train station and suggested that she try her hand at sumo,” he said indignantly.
The publication recalls that Olga Davydko was born in Crimea in 1986. She is a world champion in sumo in heavy weight, a European champion in sumo, a world and European champion in belt wrestling, a prize-winner of the World Judo Championship and the World Sambo Championship, an Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, and also a holder of the Order of Courage, III degree, which she received for winning the 2009 World Games.
Ukraine has lost its first female sumo champion – the athlete has become Russian.