Homeland and dignity above all – Mikayelyan paid for his protest

Armenian skier Mikayel Mikayelyan was fined 100 Swiss francs (about 49,000 drams) for covering up a sponsor’s logo, Inside The Games reports.

The article notes that the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) statement focused entirely on commercial growth and regulatory consistency while ignoring the human element of the conflict.

“When explicitly asked whether the federation considers the mental state of an athlete who may have lost friends or relatives in a war involving a sponsor nation, the FIS provided no answer. The governing body chose to remain silent on whether they account for the trauma and national dignity of competitors in such political contexts,” the article adds.