MOSCOW, 30 Sep. The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, said that Russian athletes who do not support the special operation in Ukraine should be allowed to participate in international competitions in a neutral status. «The hostilities were definitely not launched by Russian athletes. Those who distanced themselves «, should be able to compete under a neutral flag. Our goal is to return athletes with a Russian passport who do not support hostilities to participate in competitions. But this is not easy,» Bach said in an interview with the Italian edition of Corriere della Sera. At the same time, the head of the IOC noted that this is not an easy task. «Some countries independently refuse visas to Russian athletes, even if they are allowed to compete. Others prohibit their athletes from competing with Russians. Moreover, in some countries, athletes do not feel comfortable in terms of security,» Bach said. «Our peacekeeping mission is faltering, and in this conflict context, Russian and Belarusian athletes are now paying the price.Sports are increasingly becoming an occasion for political retribution.The Iranians may be against the participation of Americans in competitions, the Palestinians may ban Israelis from competing, and so on.There is always someone who is in conflict,» the IOC president said. At the end of February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete because of the situation in Ukraine. Most IFs have followed this recommendation.
