In early October, the IOC will consider the issue of admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions in a neutral status
Bronze medalist of the Olympic Games, and now a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and acting president of the Athletics Federation of Ukraine Olga Saladukha spoke about the upcoming meeting of the athletes’ commission International Olympic Committeeat which the issue of admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions in a neutral status will be considered.
“The IOC announced consideration of the issue of admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. This is a very alarming signal for Ukraine. Obviously, Thomas Bach is pursuing a policy of creeping capitulation to the Russian Federation and is lifting restrictions step by step.
The latest decisions of UEFA are no less alarming. They decided to return Russians under the age of 17 to international competitions. Obviously, this is the result of Russian influence, and it is not for nothing that sports functionaries of the Russian Federation are already openly rejoicing and looking to the future with optimism. This is a kind of test bullet and UEFA’s further steps will depend on the reaction of the international sports community.
And such a reaction already exists. The football associations of England, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland and Denmark announced that they would boycott UEFA tournaments if Russians were present there. This is a very strong and decisive position. Thanks to our partners for their solidarity with Ukraine!
This should serve as a warning to the IOC. Having “amnestied” the aggressor, they are subject to boycott not only by Ukraine, but also by many European countries. This threatens the usefulness of the 2024 Olympics, where many of the strongest national teams will not be present. Therefore, Thomas Bach and his subordinates should take into account all the pros and cons and make a decision that will benefit world sports, and not in favor of pro-Russian lobbyists,” Saladuha wrote on her Facebook page.
IOC President Thomas Bach previously spoke about the IOC’s desire to return athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions “for the sake of uniting the whole world at the Olympic Games.” The German called the position of Ukraine, which opposed the admission of all athletes from aggressor countries, “unconstructive.”
Let us remind you that the IOC recommended returning Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions in a neutral status. At the same time, athletes will not be able to compete under the Russian flag or have other national symbols.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
