“The athlete himself must decide whether he goes to the Olympic Games or not. There should be no decrees” – runner Viazovich

Head and driver of the Belarusian racing team “MAZ-SPORTauto” Sergei Viazovich in an interview with , he said that athletes should make the decision to participate in the Olympic Games independently, without orders from above.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in December 2023 that it would allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to successfully qualify for the 2024 Olympics to have individual neutral status, without a flag, anthem or other national symbol. The IOC also banned the participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO.

— There is a big debate in Russia about participation in the Olympic Games. How is a similar problem solved in Belarus?

– I will only express my position. Personally, I would not go in such conditions. But many Olympic sports are individual, in which a person spends his entire life preparing for these competitions. Some even live outside their country so they can compete and train like tennis players.

— There should be no pressure or orders from above?

— Yes, it is the athlete himself who must decide whether to go or not. There should be no decree against him,” Viazovich told .

Earlier, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin called for respect for those who “through their hard work earned the right to compete in the Olympics,” and also noted that it is important for Russia to “ show an example of consolidation and not give reasons for disunity.” .” The head of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), Stanislav Pozdnyakov, noted that the ROC is on the side of athletes for whom the IOC conditions are “unacceptable neither in substance nor in form.”

The Paris Summer Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11.