“The IOC is ahead of the locomotive of history with the admission of Russian athletes, they are using politics as a crowbar against Russia” – Dmitriev

Artur Dmitriev, a two-time Olympic figure skating champion, believes that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is “openly using politics” against Russia in connection with the admission of Russians to participate in the Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on December 8 that it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes who successfully qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics to have individual neutral status. In Paris, Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete without a flag, anthem and other national symbols. The IOC banned the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who had expressed support for the SVO.

— The IOC is ahead of the curve in this whole story with the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Games. They behave in a rude and undignified manner. And it didn’t start now. They started their policy a long time ago; At first they accused us of doping. You know that half of Norwegians who ski are officially recognized as asthmatics, they barely know how to walk, but at the same time they are fast skiers and many of them are Olympic champions. It’s funny, we understand that it’s not like that. Well, yes, they want to make it clear that the Russians are doping – and no one else.

The CIO has already entered politics openly. Previously, it was all indirect, but now they are using politics as a crowbar. Let’s smash all this with a crowbar and hit Russia.

— Do you agree with Vladimir Putin that sport should stay out of politics?

– Well, that’s also an illusion. There can be no sport without politics. Why is this necessary then? It is clear that countries are competing with each other, everyone is counting medals. But now the IOC is trying to use politics to change our country, its government, worldview, opinions of our people, traditions and customs. You, they say, abandon your mother and father and come to the Olympics like idiots, so be it – we will let you in.

Well, where is it good? Who would accept this? How long can you humiliate us? So the methods have nothing to do with sport – everyone understands it,” Dmitriev told RB Sport.

RB Sport