The head of the IOC refused to cancel the recommendation to remove the Russians

MOSCOW, Jul 4 International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said that the organization still maintains its position regarding sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes. At the end of February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international sports federations 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, as well as canceled competitions in Russia, other federations have allowed athletes in a neutral status. «We maintain our previous position, which is very clear, including our recommendations to international (sports) federations not invite athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions. Now is not the time to cancel these recommendations,» said Bach, quoted by ouest-france.fr. Earlier in June, Bach said that «world sport stands for unification and respect for common rules,» noting at the same time, that «the time for lifting the sanctions has not yet come.»