Russian athletes who do not support the Russian special operation in Ukraine should be able to participate in international competitions in a neutral status, says the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach.
– This conflict, of course, was not started by Russian athletes. Those who have walked away from the situation should be able to compete under a neutral flag. Our goal is to ensure that athletes with Russian passports who do not support the special operation can again participate in competitions. But it’s not easy.
Why? Because at the political level, there is a huge difference in our decisions. Some governments have independently taken the decision to deny visas to Russian athletes even though they are allowed to compete. Others retaliate by banning their athletes from competing with the Russians. Moreover, in some countries they do not feel comfortable, their safety is not guaranteed. Our peacekeeping mission is failing, because of this Russian and Belarusian athletes are now paying the price. But the problem could get worse,” Bach said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
At the end of February, the IOC recommended to international sports federations to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. A number of international federations have excluded Russians and Belarusians from competitions under their auspices and have also canceled competitions in Russia.
Corriere della Sera
Source : MatchTV
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