Head coach of the Spartak hockey club Alexei Zhamnov told that the statement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the admission of Russian athletes to the Paris Olympics in individual neutral status gives hope for new positive changes.
On Friday, the IOC announced it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes who successfully qualified for the 2024 Olympics to have neutral status as individual athletes.
— It’s difficult to comment because I don’t know all the nuances: how and under what conditions they were allowed to do it. Positive steps have probably already been taken. Politics is politics, but a small child is sent to sports, and he prepares his whole life for this competition and wants to participate in the Olympic Games. And then someone decided the Russians weren’t coming. It’s wrong. Every athlete dreams of defending his country’s honor at the Olympic Games. Therefore, not getting it is naturally offensive to everyone. Of course, our generation was lucky, but it’s hard for the current generation, who risks not reaching the Olympic Games.
— In your career, the Olympic Games are always about surpassing yourself. You also had a neutral status, you constantly had to prove something…
— I would say the Olympic Games – they are the Olympic Games. The flag and anthem were taken from us, but they were still in our hearts. All the guys understood what kind of country we represent. Of course, it was a shame for us to play without the anthem. Especially not hearing it when they won gold. But we sang it ourselves. And the fact that we are allowed to do so is already a big plus,” Zhamnov told .
At the end of March 2023, the IOC announced recommendations for the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. These include individual admission, neutral status, banning participation in team sports, and banning participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO. The same requirements now apply to the Olympic Games.
Previously, the IOC Executive Committee suspended the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). In Paris, Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete in neutral individual status (AIN), without flags, anthems and other national symbols.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
