Athletistic/ Others. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is becoming more toxic every month. In February 2022, in defiance of the Olympic Charter, the IOC called for the withdrawal of Russian and Belarusian athletes from participation in international sports. In October 2023, the IOC suspended the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in its organization, justifying this with violations of the same charter due to the inclusion of representatives of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye regions and Kherson in the ROC. And in recent days, it seems that the IOC has finally put all decency aside and has begun to openly oppose Russia and Russian sport.

A few days ago, IOC President Thomas Bach once again declared with a smile on his face that the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris should unite all countries in the name of peace. But the words “all” do not include Russia and Belarus. Because, according to the IOC, Russia’s military conduct in Ukraine is very different from other armed conflicts in the world, including the worsening Palestinian-Israeli relations, where a large number of civilians have died.

Photo source: Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee

In Russia, they considered all this and decided to go their own way, holding a large number of competitions in the country and significantly increasing their prize pool. However, you cannot stew in your own juice, which is why the country’s leadership decided to organize new global tournaments, such as the BRICS Games and the World Friendship Games. For Russian athletes, these tournaments become a kind of alternative to the Olympic Games, and for foreigners – an opportunity to take part in a major competition with the participation of many legends of world sports, as well as win big money.

Naturally, representatives of Western countries will not participate in the Friendship Games in any case (this will be their decision, of course, not ours), however, over the past few months, active discussions have taken place about the participation of African athletes. , East Asia and the Middle East in these competitions. Eastern America, as well as Central and South America. It is entirely possible to assemble a good composition of participants for the Friendship Games. However, the IOC is trying by all means to prevent this.

It is already clear that the IOC is frightened by the latest events. Moreover, the problem is not so much that Russia is able to completely ignore the restrictions so diligently and selectively created by the IOC, but rather the emergence of a strong competitor. And before, many countries, foundations and businessmen tried to find an alternative to the Olympic Games, but they all disappeared sooner or later. However, at that time the IOC was a truly strong INDEPENDENT organization and conformed to the Olympic Charter and the principles of Baron Pierre de Coubertin. But now it’s exactly the opposite.

On November 15, it became known that at the end of October, the IOC sent a warning to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs), in which, almost turning into an ultimatum, it urgently asked them not to participate in the World Games of friendship. , which will be held in Russia in September 2024. This is the case when the IOC resorts to outright blackmail. The organization has not yet directly threatened anyone with sanctions, but these developments are easy to read between the lines.

Such a move by the IOC will certainly directly affect the possible participation of athletes from many other countries in the Friendship Games, as well as other tournaments in Russia. Thomas Bach and Co. dealt a heavy blow, but that was to be expected. Maybe this was calculated by Russian sports officials, and maybe that’s why it all started.

Photo source: Olympic.org

Russia now has enough time to find a way to neutralize the effects of such behavior by the IOC. A good option would be to decide to invite not national delegations or teams to the World Friendship Games, but to send invitations to individual athletes from different countries. Firstly, something similar happened during the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, when, due to the boycott of the Games by Western countries, it was not the teams of France, Germany or Great Britain who came to the capital of the USSR, but athletes from these countries, competing under the flag of the Olympic Committee. Secondly, this is exactly how the IOC now behaves towards athletes from Russia and Belarus, sending them personal invitations.

It appears that Russia has accepted the rules of the game and is ready to put the IOC to a tough test. This rivalry will be extremely difficult and very long, but given current developments in the world, Russia’s chances of emerging victorious are very real.

Nikita Serbakov, Athletistic


@sportru