IOC strongly rejects slanderous statements
Head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach does not plan to visit Ukraine in the near future at the invitation of the President of the country Vladimir Zelensky.
“The IOC rejects in the strongest possible terms the slanderous statements made by some Ukrainian officials. They are completely unacceptable and cannot form the basis for any constructive discussion.”
“The IOC President visited Ukraine in the summer of 2022 at the invitation of the NOC. During this visit, he met with athletes affected by the war, witnessed the destroyed sports infrastructure, and also met with President Zelensky for an extensive conversation. After this visit, they also exchanged views by phone. There are currently no plans for another visit to Ukraine.”
Recall that the IOC is ready to consider the possibility of admitting athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions. At the same time, everyone who wishes will be required to act in a neutral status. Also, athletes should not support the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and pass a mandatory doping test.
The Olympic Summit, chaired by IOC President Thomas Bach, unanimously agreed to accept an initiative proposed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in its competitions.
The OCA is developing a special system that will allow Russians to qualify for the Olympics through Asian competitions. It is also planned to award Asian athletes with separate medals if representatives of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus win the event.
The NOC of Ukraine will hold an online conference on February 3. During the meeting, the issue of a possible boycott by Ukraine of the 2024 Olympic Games will be discussed, to which representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus under a neutral flag may be admitted.
Ex-world heavyweight champion Volodymyr Klitschko, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and Verkhovna Rada deputy Jean Beleniuk, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba criticized the IOC and the head of the organization Thomas Bach. However, the IOC does not plan to consider all applications regarding the return of athletes from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus to the Olympic Games-2024,
The IOC believes that a complete ban on the performance of Russian and Belarusian athletes is discrimination and is contrary to the Olympic Charter. The organizers of the 2024 Olympics in Paris said they would adhere to the decision of the International Olympic Committee to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete under a neutral flag.
Source: Sportarena
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