Possible cancellation of ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus: the most important
The Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne on March 28 made a resounding decision – to recommend that international sports federations allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in major tournaments. IOC chief Thomas Bach announced the admission criteria. The decision of the IOC Executive Committee caused a generally negative reaction in Russia. Some deputies, as well as current and former athletes, called the criteria discriminatory.
What are the criteria?
It should be recalled that in February 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IOC banned international federations from holding top tournaments in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus and, as mentioned, took protective measures against athletes from these two countries. On March 28, the IOC executive committee recommended that the federations cancel the protective measures that provide for the ban on the participation of Belarusian and Russian athletes in international competitions.
But only if a number of conditions are met, including acting in a neutral state (without flag and anthem) and only in individual competitions. These athletes must not, moreover, have ties with the Russian or Belarusian army, as well as with power structures and security agencies. Meanwhile, as you know, many of the top Russian athletes play for CSKA or Dynamo and are at the same time officers of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the National Guard, such as, for example, three-time Olympic ski champion Alexander Bolshunov . They also account for most of the medals won by Russians in major competitions in recent years.
In addition, international federations are recommended to allow only those athletes from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus who “did not oppose the IOC’s peacekeeping mission and did not actively support military operations” in their tournaments. At the same time, Thomas Bach clarified that “active support” means “open solidarity” with the special operation, expressed, for example, in the demonstration of the letter Z and in statements on social networks.
Federations have the last word
The IOC also recommended that international federations create commissions on the issue of admission of Russians and Belarusians to competitions and consider the case of each athlete individually.
It is possible that, despite the IOC’s influence on world sport, some federations ignore its recommendations. The last word is theirs. Thus, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has already managed to respond to the recommendations of the IOC. “Given the current situation in Ukraine, the reasons that led to the decision of the congress (IBU. – Red.) are still in effect and it is not yet time to reconsider this decision,” the organization said.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (World Athletics, WA) will also adhere to the position of not allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete – despite the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board. “WA’s position has not changed,” the association said. “As the IOC has said, the decision on admission is in the hands of the International Federations,” the WA said in a statement.
Will Russians and Belarusians be able to participate in the Olympics?
IOC recommendations do not apply to the next Olympics – summer in Paris. The decision on the matter will be taken, according to Bach, at the “opportune moment” only after “long monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations”. At the same time, even a preliminary date has not been appointed, and it may turn out that even after a positive decision, selection for the Paris Olympics in some sports simply ends.
Reaction to the decision of the IOC Executive Board
The IOC’s recommendations to sports federations caused a mixed reaction – from the West and Ukraine there was sharp criticism of the decision for being too lenient towards athletes from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, and from these two countries – indignation over overly strict criteria .
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the IOC decision “is a scandal and a betrayal of the true spirit of sport. We will do our best to keep the sport free from Russian influence.” The head of Russia’s NOC, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, called the conditions for the return of Russians to international competition “unacceptable”.
In a statement from the Russian NOC, the athletes’ neutral status is assessed as “obvious discrimination on the basis of nationality, a violation of basic human and civil rights, which has been repeatedly pointed out in recent months by international humanitarian experts, including UN experts on human rights”.
Olympic ski champion Veronika Stepanova did not choose expressions in social networks: “Would you go to hell with all your conditions and recommendations, dear IOC? peace”.
For his part, the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Oleg Matitsyn, called for the separation of sport and politics, stressing that “the IOC recommendations to classify Russian athletes are illegal and a separate decision on team sports is openly discriminatory. Our athletes are offered to enter through a half-open door, creating additional obstacles”.
Three-time Olympic champion in figure skating, State Duma deputy Irina Rodnina generally doubted that Russia would agree to the terms of the IOC: “It is still not a fact that we will accept the proposal that Bach is talking about. What are these leftovers from the master table?”
Source: DW
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