Chernyshenko: IOC supports athletes under US wing

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) supports athletes only from countries that are under the wing of the United States. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, commenting on the organization’s call not to discriminate against athletes from Israel.

“The IOC changed its shoes in the air. And today we hear that athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of governments. Unfortunately, we are talking only about athletes from Israel, but not from Russia. Without hesitation, the IOC supports athletes only from those countries that are under the wing of the United States,” he said, his words were quoted by the press service.

According to Chernyshenko, the committee “was afraid that the Olympic movement would collapse completely and irrevocably” on the eve of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“Addressing its functionaries, I would like to emphasize that there is nothing to be afraid of, the system is already rotten! It’s time to accept this as a fact,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.

He recalled that Russia has always stood “on the position of equality and non-discrimination towards athletes from any country.” “Sport should be outside of politics. Our position, unlike the IOC, is unchanged,” concluded Chernyshenko.

The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11. The decision on the admission of Russian athletes has still not been made. October 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, that the IOC considers an invitation to the Olympic Games to be “a kind of privilege” that can be earned through “political gestures.” According to him, competitions are used “as a tool of political pressure,” and restrictions on athletes are “racist, ethnic discrimination.”

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to compete, but in March 2023 announced a easing of measures. Athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus will be able to participate in international competitions under a neutral flag. Restrictions remain for athletes who compete in team sports, as well as those who support the official position of the Russian and Belarusian authorities on Ukraine. Many sports federations also maintain their restrictions.