An Olympiad Controversy – What it takes to be an Olympian?

What it takes to be an Olympian
By Diana Mihajlova

While the forthcoming Olympiad has been battered with colorful controversies, another incident, of a different type, has broken a debate on the social networks – a national champion has been overlooked by the selector in the composition of the national team. It may be about an individual case but it is also of a larger general interest that opens up questions about a professional and moral scrutiny.

WGM Nino Maisuradze, the reigning French woman champion, sometime in April learnt that she had not been selected as a member of the French Women’s Olympic team. As the Olympiad is looming, still in a state of disbelief, she vented her frustration publicly, not expecting that it might provoke a barrage of comments. Her indignation is further strengthened by the fact that since becoming a French citizen in 2009, she has been regularly a member of the French national women’s team due to her achievements, even though she was not an actual champion.

A Georgian by birth, Nino has been living in France since 2003 and has been playing under the French flag for the last six years. While a resident of France, but still playing for Georgia, she already marked her impressive play by winning first place (women) at the 2008 Paris Championship (leaving behind Aleaxandra Kosteniuk). Soon after starting playing under the French flag, as a new member of the French women national team, at the 2010 Mitropa Cup, she won a gold medal for best result on the first board. The same year she was part of the Olympic team at Khanty-Mansiysk. The following 2011, she became the French woman vice-champion. The same year, at the European team championship in Greece, the French team finished fifth (beating Ukraine in last round). Their best result was the last Olympiad, in Istanbul 2012, where the French team reached 7th place. Last year, she played for the French team at the European Team Championship in Poland. Also, 2013 saw her as a woman champion of France. However, since becoming a champion, as if by curse, she is no longer part of the national team.