The governing body explains its position by “established practice to protect the rights of individual athletes to participate in competitions”
Based on the results of the 12th Olympic Summit International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an official communiqué.
Among other things, the following was stated: despite the suspension of the activities of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), the IOC has not changed its recommendations regarding participation “individual neutral athletes” subject to “strict conditions”.
“This protection of the rights of individual athletes to compete despite the suspension of their National Olympic Committee is an established practice that respects human rights and has been implemented by a number of suspended NOCs during past Olympic Games,” the governing body said in a statement.
At the same time, the IOC emphasized that the participation of athletes with the specified status in the Olympic Games can only occur if strict conditions are met:
“Neither the qualification system developed by the relevant international federations, nor the number of allocated quotas per sport will be changed for individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport. They will have to meet all the eligibility criteria applicable to any Olympic athlete.”
Let us remind you that in October it officially suspended the activities of the region for violating the Olympic Charter. The reason was the inclusion of “Olympic councils” from the occupied territories of Ukraine into the latter.
In November, the IOC called for the abandonment of the World Friendship Games, which Russia had planned for September 2024.
At the same time, earlier the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, 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.”
Back in March, the IOC Executive Committee recommended the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions in a neutral status.
In the early hours of February 24, Russia launched rocket and air strikes on most Ukrainian cities and then launched a full-scale military invasion. The Russian war against Ukraine has continued for the 650th day.
Source: Sportarena
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