Ukraine is continuing its attempts to keep Russian athletes from competing in the Olympics before a board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next week.
Follow Us
Ukraine is continuing its attempts to keep Russian athletes from competing in the Olympics before a board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next week. It is anticipated that the summit will lay the groundwork for the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sporting competitions. Vadym Guttsait, the head of the national Olympic committee and the sports minister of Ukraine, attacked the IOC’s efforts to reintroduce Russia and Belarus into the sports world by highlighting the imbalance brought on due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Guttsait, the Russians have all the necessary resources to train and perform at home, whereas Ukraine lacks the standard circumstances for such activities. Guttsait reaffirmed Ukraine’s prior promise that a boycott of the Paris Olympics would only be considered as a last option in the event if lobbying efforts were unsuccessful. He declared that Ukraine wants to take part in the Olympics, however, without Russians and Belarusians. Guttsait stated that the decision to boycott will be reached after hearing the views of all participating athletes and federations.
Read More-Vadym Gutzeit challenges IOC claims of support for Ukraine Athletes
As the number of qualifying events increases, the IOC is anticipated to specify the requirements for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Paris Olympics. Soon after the invasion last year, the IOC suggested eliminating Russia and Belarus for safety reasons, but it now supports allowing the athletes from those two nations to compete as neutrals without wearing their national colors.
IOC President Thomas Bach stated that the IOC would oppose political involvement in sports and that ongoing exclusion amounted to citizenship-based discrimination. Bach suggested that the meeting next week might include topics like the military ties amongst Russian sportsmen. The IOC has stated that it will strive to exclude athletes who have “actively supported” the conflict, although it has not specified how this will be done. The large number of Russian athletes who are active duty military personnel or who compete for organizations controlled by the military is of particular concern to Ukraine.
Russia has applauded efforts to readmit its participants, but has insisted that they be allowed to perform under their own flag and national anthem. The IOC is holding judgement calls on whether to re-admit Russians and Belarusians to individual sports federations. Despite Bach’s appeals for a coordinated strategy, there is a widening rift among the federations. This year, both judo and fencing have enabled Russian and Belarusian competitors to return. However, neither of the nations has done so yet. Ice hockey has excluded Russia and Belarus from the 2024 World Championships due to security concerns, and track and field has maintained its ban for the “foreseeable future.”
The men’s and women’s tennis tours enable Russian and Belarussian players to continue competing as neutrals. However, they are not permitted to compete in national team competitions like the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. Football authorities permitted Belarus to compete at neutral sites without crowds but barred Russia from qualifying for the men’s and women’s World Cups as well as the men’s European Championship, which started in the week.
