“Thomas Bach would have won the Balabol award of the year” – Tarasova

Honored Figure Skating Coach Tatiana Tarasova told RB Sport he finds it hard to believe the IOC president’s words Thomas Bach.

“Thomas Bach has said so much over the past year. You don’t believe a single word he says. A person always has seven Fridays in a week. Today he wants to unite everyone, tomorrow – separate. Thomas Bach would have won the Balabol award of the year. I don’t know how to describe his work more accurately,” Tarasova said.

In February, the IOC Executive Board recommended that international federations prevent Russians and Belarusians from participating in international competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. Many federations have followed these recommendations and suspended athletes from both countries.

Bach, in his New Year’s message, commenting on the sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes, said that to ensure the integrity of international competitions, the IOC must oppose its own mission to unite the world by organizing competitions peacefully. According to the IOC chief, the organization should limit the participation of athletes solely on the basis of their citizenship.