Neutral status for athletes from the Russian Federation launched the Russian roulette of the boycott

Russia is already preparing for the fifth Olympic Games beyond the norm. Not that we are starting to get used to it, but it’s not to say that we didn’t wait. The last three Olympics were held without national symbols: at the Games in Pyeongchang-2018, in Tokyo-2020, in Beijing-2022, our athletes performed first as Olympic athletes from Russia, then as an ROC team.

The IOC Executive Committee a few days ago made an information stuffing about the possible admission of our athletes to international starts in a neutral status. And he began to discuss the alleged criteria for the admission of Russia with the head federations. In the heads and statements of all confusion and everything is blurry. But one thing is for sure: we are talking about international competitions in general and qualifying starts, which are completely under the jurisdiction of international sports federations.

But a year and a half is left before the Olympic Games in Paris, the reference of a neutral status to them is obvious. What Thomas Bach already said after the executive committee: it is possible to allow Paris-2024 in a neutral status, because “the suspension does not correspond to our Olympic values.” And he even shrugged his shoulders sharply in response to the lightning-fast reaction of Ukraine, which announced a boycott: “this is contrary to the mission of the Olympic movement.”

And then the IOC made another statement, which followed from the office of the President of Ukraine, who accused Bach himself and the entire organization of corruption and encouraging the actions of Russia. And “in the strongest terms” rejected this and other “slanderous statements.” Rightly remarked: they cannot serve as the basis for “any constructive discussion.”

betray or glorify

But not only Ukrainians are ready to interrupt the constructive discussion. The boycott has no nationality. There is no creation in it. There is destruction and impotence. This impotence and protest with resentment underlie the statements of those who are now in Russia eager to break off all relations with the Olympic movement. They deprived us of the flag and the anthem – then we do not play.

Not games, you say? Just the Games, and there is no inflection in the words and a new trampling of patriotic feelings. They won’t even give us an ROC flag and they won’t even allow Tchaikovsky’s music, like at the last Games? Yes, the neutral status will not allow this. Everyone is offended, and I just want to smack at least someone. The fight is good, if not for self-destruction. And it’s not even that Russia is no longer accustomed to performing at the main competitions “not like everyone else.”

They say sport is a reflection of politics. But politics itself is also a sport: who will speak louder, faster, more clearly, more thoughtfully. And what is more important for us politically today? To be at the Games or not to be at all? (We do not take the option, which is unacceptable for the majority of the athletes themselves, with the requirement to sign a petition condemning the actions of the country). To withdraw to the joy of the opposition known for years, or to show our sport, which is alive and able to win even in such conditions?

And is it the self-esteem that many today are calling for, not allowing the thought of participating in the Games in a neutral status, to say: fuck you! Or in order to seat entire sports schools of children in front of the screens with their performances: look, they have not given up and will not give up. Where is the betrayal, and where is the struggle for the glory of the country?

To be honest, today this is already an unclear story – the rule that if a country demonstratively refuses to participate in the Games, it will be punished. There were boycotts, but there was no punishment for them. And the Olympic Charter, as you know, is undergoing changes before our very eyes. Recent years and events have shown that the rules of the game are written “here and now.”

Questions – why “they” and why “they” can? – meaningless. These double standards – not to be erased from life forever, but at least leveled – can only be time and a change in the world situation. But we ourselves should not exclude ourselves from the Olympic movement. Just as it is not customary in sports to cheer against rivals, it is also impossible to play against oneself.

Ultimatum and coalition

It is the boycott that our foreign opponents want to make a weapon of mass sports defeat. Soloist Poland. Its sports minister last year organized a letter from 35 countries demanding that Russia be completely excluded from the IOC. Today, however, he said that it is impossible to represent our athletes at the Games, so we need to turn on countermeasures. And the main responsibility in this case, according to him, lies with Poland and the UK. “Poland and the UK are at the forefront of efforts to build a coalition against the participation of Russia and Belarus in the Paris 2024 Olympics.”

The Poles assume that they can resort to an ultimatum. Like, if a neutral status for speaking in Paris is given, then the formed coalition (so far it still does not exist) will present it to the IOC. However, this issue will also depend on whether it will be possible to form an effective coalition of countries, without which the organization of the Games will not be possible.

NOC of Poland – in favour. The Baltic countries, of course, have almost joined. Also – Denmark, yet – the Norwegian sports confederation is ready “to maintain close contact on this issue with the fraternal organizations of Northern Europe.” Such a touching unity of souls. True, all this is not official.

One of the latest statements that flies in the information space, belongs to the Secretary General of the Latvian Olympic Committee Georges Tikmers, made on television. The position of Latvia is as follows – “if” these Olympic Games were held now and “it was expected” that athletes from Russia and Belarus would participate in them, “I think” that the Latvian team would not go to these Games. A set of words characterizes itself, and is simply thrown out on the air for the time being.

This does not mean that there will be no official announcement. Nothing will stop the frenzy. Will someone be able to answer the question: should the flag be taken away from Poland and potential members of the coalition? For getting into political affairs?

… This Zhorzhs Yanovich Tikmers, by the way, is a Soviet rower, Olympic silver medalist, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. He won the Olympic medal in Moscow-80 as part of a swing four with a coxswain. At the same Games that many countries boycotted after the Americans.

The boycott of Moscow-80 was followed by ours: the refusal of the countries of the socialist camp from the Games in Los Angeles. The refusal, which many later, including the leaders, will appreciate as an emotional propaganda response. This reaction was in the style of real-life magnets with five rings, our Misha and the words “Kill the Russian bear.” But that’s when the sports world was supposed to get that antidote: a boycott is a road to nowhere.

…Will there be a split in the Olympic movement? It has already happened, and Thomas Bach himself is to blame for this, having come up with “protective measures” to remove our athletes. He let the goats into the Olympic garden. Now they, having eaten everything green, want to enter new spaces. But, by the way, the United States was the first to advocate the return of Russia to international competitions even before the announcement of the intentions of the IOC Executive Committee. They also voiced: “in a neutral status.” And Paris 2024 is ready to welcome Russia, which I have already stated. So let them now butt heads with a potential coalition for the time being.

… Should we go to the Games in a neutral status? I wish that this time the emotions did not prevail. And the flag and the anthem, as the athletes say, we ourselves will win in the competition.