athletes cannot be held responsible for government actions – Kommersant

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach commented on the possibility of a boycott by Russian athletes of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris. He said “a boycott is never good news” and stressed that athletes cannot be held accountable for the actions of their government.

“We are uncompromising when it comes to punishing those who violate the Olympic Charter. But I am equally uncompromising in defending those who did not violate the statute. It is a commitment to human rights and the defense of the principle of no collective guilt. Athletes cannot be held responsible for the actions of their government. If they support these actions, they are punished. But if this is not the case, they should have the same rights as others,” Mr. Bach said in an interview Le Monde.

On December 8, 2023, it became known that the IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Olympics in a neutral status. They will need to qualify in their respective sports as well as sign several documents. And about. Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matvey Bedny statedthat the committee’s decision makes it impossible for Ukrainian athletes to participate in competitions. At the same time, he admitted that the boycott of the Olympics will hit on Ukrainian athletes. The Russian Olympic Committee is still didn’t accept decisions on the 2024 Games. In January, Ukrainian football players asked French President Emmanuel Macron to prevent Russians from attending the Olympics.

About the situation in Russian sports against the backdrop of sanctions – in the material “Kommersant” “My own game”.

Laura Keffer