Sofia Velikaya is one of three Olympic champions barred from competing at the Fencing World Championships ©Getty Images

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has barred Russians Sofia Velikaya, Yana Yegoryan, and Sofia Pozdniakova from competing at this year's World Championships in Milan from July 22 to 30.

The global governing body omitted several decorated athletes from the country, including the trio who are all double Olympic champions, and cited the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) latest recommendations as its reasoning.

All three are Russian Armed Forces athletes, of which the IOC suggested an outright ban on anyone affiliated with the Russian military due to the war in Ukraine.

"The FIE sent us a list of saber players whom they can admit to international competitions - there are no names familiar to the world in it," said Russian Fencing Federation President Ilgar Mammadov, as reported by Russian state-run news agency TASS.

"There are no Pozdnyakova, Velikaya, Yegoryan, [Olga] Nikitina, [Kamil] Ibragimov, [Veniamin] Reshetnikov and many other promising strong guys.

"The explanation was attached that these are recommendations of the International Olympic Committee, and the FIE office is not authorised to explain more.

Double Olympic champion Sofia Pozdniakova is a Russian Armed Forces athlete and has been banned by the FIE which cites the IOC recommendations for its decision ©Getty Images
Double Olympic champion Sofia Pozdniakova is a Russian Armed Forces athlete and has been banned by the FIE which cites the IOC recommendations for its decision ©Getty Images

"Now we are waiting for lists of foil, epée, as well as a list of doctors, coaches and other specialists. 

"Then we will hold a general meeting, after which there will be an understanding of what to do next.

"I'm not going to divide the Russian national team into good and bad, pleasing and undesirable.

"All are already adults - we will exchange views, develop a common position.

"My opinion can only be mine, I don't want later, when I cease to be the head of the Federation, the head coach, they tell me that I ruined someone's life, blocked the road to sports."

Mammadov says that as it stands the Federation is considering a boycott of the Championships due to the omissions.

Sofia Pozdniakova is also the daughter of ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov ©Getty Images
Sofia Pozdniakova is also the daughter of ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov ©Getty Images

A meeting is due to be held to decide on whether this is the preferred course of action for the athletes who have been ruled eligible to compete.

Pozdniakova won both the women's individual sabre and team sabre gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games while competing under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) name.

Her father, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, is President of the ROC and is a four-time Olympic champion.

Yegoryan won the same titles as Pozdniakova but at the Rio 2016 Games, while Velikaya was part of both triumphant team sabre line-ups in Brazil and Japan.

She has also won three individual sabre silvers at London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020.