On Wednesday, the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, praised the organizers of those tournaments that allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes. It seems that things are still going to the fact that the IOC will give the go-ahead for the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the Paris 2024 Olympics. But the main question, under what conditions, remains open.
As you know, the March Executive Committee of the IOC, making recommendations to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions in a neutral status, postponed the decision on the participation of delegations from these countries in the Paris Olympics. It is going to be taken out no earlier than a year before the start of the Games. «We will monitor the implementation of our recommendations,» Bach explained this position.
More than two months have passed, and already more than a dozen international federations have followed the recommendations of the IOC. Shooting, fencing, rowing and canoeing, modern pentathlon, golf, tennis, table tennis, archery, wrestling, skateboarding, triathlon, cycling — in these sports, Russians have either returned or are about to return to the international arena. And in judo and taekwondo, our athletes again participate in the world championships. As for the International Boxing Association, in tournaments under its auspices the Russian team competes under its own flag.Other international federations upheld the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The largest in their ranks is the World Athletics Association (World Athletics), whose president Sebastian Coe said back in November last year that Russians and Belarusians would not be at tournaments until «special instructions». At the same time, Coe stressed that a «special order» could be issued only after «Russia leaves Ukraine.» Later, the head of World Athletics made excuses that he spoke on emotions, but the organization, most likely, will stand on the issue of not allowing Russians to the last.The international badminton, equestrian, rock climbing and surfing federations also extended the suspension of Russian athletes for an indefinite period. But in general, the picture with regard to the participation of Russians in the Paris Summer Olympics (we don’t take winter sports now) is not so pessimistic — even taking into account the fact that important for us gymnastics and swimming federations have not yet agreed to follow the recommendations of the IOC. There are, of course, disciplines where qualification for the 2024 Games is already underway, but in most events, Russian athletes still have a chance of qualifying.
At the General Assembly of the Association of International Summer Olympic Sports Federations (ASOIF) in Lausanne, Bach noted the success of those tournaments in which Russian and Belarusian athletes took part. «Everyone knows that extremely complex political problems do not have simple solutions. Only populists can offer them. Unfortunately, we see every day what such simple solutions can lead to. The current situation poses some challenges, but many of you have proved that the application of the IOC recommendations under strict conditions is possible,» Bach said, addressing the heads of the federations.
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«Many international federations organize tournaments and even world championships, applying our recommendations, and they do it very successfully. Contrary to the position, I would say, of skeptics who want to make people believe that this is impossible,» the IOC President added.
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It is clear that in the current situation, when, quoting the same Bach, no one knows what will happen in the near future, it is not easy to make predictions. No wonder ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said in plain text: “In my opinion, the IOC does not make a decision on the participation of Russians in the Olympics, hoping that something will change “in the field.” We hope that within a few months or some another certain period of time, the IOC will be in a much better position to make a final decision.However, apparently, and in the event that no changes, as Ricci Beatty put it, «in the field» happen, the IOC is inclined to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Olympic Games. However, as you know, the devil is in the details — if the current recommendations of the IOC also remain unchanged, many leading Russian athletes will not reach Paris. At a minimum, those who represent CSKA and other sports organizations associated with law enforcement agencies.
It is obvious that the topic of the recommendation on the non-admission of such athletes is now the main one, there is no doubt that the shadow negotiations currently underway on the conditions for the possible performance of Russian athletes at the 2024 Games. In the end, the Russian team has already participated in the Olympics in a neutral status and even agreed to not allow some of its athletes for unknown reasons — as was the case before the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. However, club segregation is a very rude and unacceptable step in relation to Russian sports.
Last week, the Russian Olympic Committee was supposed to make its recommendations regarding participation in international tournaments in a neutral status. However, the decision was postponed — the ROC executive committee limited itself to a declaration on behalf of the president of the organization, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, which contained theses about the inadmissibility of Russian athletes signing any declarations or statements of a political nature. Probably, before giving permission for Russian athletes to travel to tournaments, the ROC wants to make sure that they will not be forced to give up their country for this.
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But it seems that a moderate position will prevail here too – there will be no boycotts. It is indicative that on June 1 the forum of young Olympians started in Moscow. Not athletes or athletes, but Olympians, and with the participation of guests from nine countries of near and far abroad. «Sport knows no boundaries, and the Olympic slogan «Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together» plays with new colors in this context,» ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov said in a solemn greeting, and later stressed that for Russian sports, everyone who respects Olympic values — friends.
So the word «Olympic», despite the harsh statement of Irina Viner, is not yet becoming abusive in Russia.
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