Revolt or compromise: Western sports ministers will discuss the admission of Russians to the Olympics

In fact, many do not argue with the fact that our athletes need to be returned to the starts. And the continental councils, and the national committees of the USA, Australia, Italy … Someone speaks in the style: we don’t say “yes” and “no”, but “yes” still outweighs.

The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee, David Shoemaker, says somewhat floridly: “open to explore the possibility of including neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus who meet at least the conditions set out by the IOC Executive Board in a statement dated January 25, 2023.” But nevertheless he clarifies: “We recognize that the decision to exclude athletes only because of their nationality is contrary to the basic principles of the Olympic movement.”

But the Poles have started a coalition game and are pulling those who want to join it. The summit was announced. We are proud of ourselves: we have a tough position against the participation of Russia and Belarus. They play ridiculous nobility: but it would be necessary to give “the IOC time for self-reflection, without pressing it against the wall yet.” (Self-reflection is, in short, the ability to understand oneself.) They clarify: instead of immediately “humiliating partners, it is worth giving a chance to improve,” and the Games are something else – not tomorrow.

Bold and forceful. Although the possibility of retreat is also there. The IOC has already heard boycott threats against it (and the threats are directed specifically at Thomas Bach and his executive committee), and last week published answers to the main questions on the return of our athletes. Speaking in Polish, trying to move away from the wall against which they want to press him.

In short, I sent everyone to Asia first. He stated: all recommendations of the International Olympic Committee on the return of athletes apply only to competitions in Asia. And they have nothing to do with the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Because the decision on the participation of athletes with disputed passports in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has not yet been made. And only “their participation in international tournaments in Asia in the upcoming summer season is being discussed.” (As you know, the Olympic Council of Asia, after the announced decision of the IOC Executive Committee, invited our athletes to take part in the Asian Games. The Games will be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, 2023.)

Not everyone hears

Everyone seems to hear, but pretends not quite. Someone is surprised: for example, not the most friendly Czech Republic refused to join the threats to boycott the Olympic Games in Paris if Russian and Belarusian athletes appear there in a neutral status. The NOC of the Czech Republic said so: we are not considering the possibility of a boycott. Because they already apologized to the athletes for the boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. And this “disappointing experience of the communist era” the NOC does not want to repeat, it will send a team to Paris 2024: “this is our duty according to the Olympic Charter.”

But right there, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, according to press reports, still doubts: I can’t imagine that Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete in Paris. He says that this is extremely debatable, although so far he respects the independence of the actions of sports bodies.

And there are responsible persons who rush about with their thoughts first there, then from there. They are not interested in any sports debts. For example, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, distinguished herself by saying that she did not want to see the Russian delegation at the 2024 Olympics in the event of a continuation of the conflict with Ukraine: “The IOC will decide. I’m against. I do not support the option with a neutral flag.” Just the other day, she said: they should be, but we should not look at the passport. Rights in one thing: it will not be her decision.

Yes, the IOC keeps its distance: we don’t discuss Paris. And in answering questions, he even switched to some very simple language in explanations: “in none of the documents published by the IOC, you will find a mention of the 2024 Olympic Games in relation to athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports.”

But what the IOC said will not suit the state apparatuses of some countries, they are not ahead of the curve. Sports structures with their own politicians are also beginning to clash. National Olympic Committees can express one point of view, and sports ministers another. And they end up on opposite sides of the barricades.

Norway vs.

True, those who are not in the “that” ranks will be returned back in such countries. “Removing someone only on the basis of a passport is discrimination and a violation of human rights,” agreed the chairman of the Norwegian Athletes’ Committee Astrid Jacobsen, who is also a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, agreed with the new vision of the situation from the IOC. And it turned out to be just on opposite sides of the barricades due to the combination of posts.

After all, the NOC of Norway immediately stated after the IOC Executive Committee, which advocated the return of our athletes: we do not want Russians and Belarusians to participate in international competitions, we take a clear position, “in the current situation, this is wrong, and we strongly recommend not to do this.”

The same statement was made on Tuesday in a joint appeal by the Olympic committees of several countries: Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Finland, including the Aland Islands. “Now is not the time to think about their return, this is our position.” And a promise: we will work together “to assess and constantly closely monitor the situation.”

Poor Jacobsen, of course, paid the price for what she said: words about the undermined confidence in her in Norway, and about the shock that such a position caused, flew to her address. Now he says: we follow what is happening in international sports, we will interview athletes, we will work out a position.

What this position will be, it is not so difficult to guess. World chess champion Magnus Carlsen has just changed his previous opinion about the admission of Russian athletes. Previously, he believed that politics should not interfere with sports and careers should not be artificially stopped. He said that “perhaps in difficult times it will pay off, but it will also create a dangerous precedent that can be repeated in the future.” And on Monday, having won against Alexei Sarana, who received an invitation to the Champions Chess Tour, he said that he was already full of doubts: “maybe the Russians shouldn’t play.”

USA and Bach

Americans agree to see Russia at the start. The new head of the US Olympic Committee, Jean Sykes, confirmed the position of the former: “After listening to many athletes in the United States, we understand their desire to compete with all the best athletes in the world.” They called on the IOC to “continue to explore a process that will uphold existing sanctions and ensure that only neutral and clean athletes are allowed to compete.”

That is, the Americans 100% supported Bach, having outlined their conditions. And it would be strange if the IOC, having voiced its thoughts on the return of Russia, did not first consult with a powerful force on the sports front. Just in response to pressing questions, the IOC clarified: “it is quite clear” only that we are talking only about neutral athletes “respecting our rules, including the absence of any identification with their country and NOC and full compliance with anti-doping rules.”

And all “potentially eligible” neutral athletes must fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Code. In this connection, the international federations and national anti-doping organizations must conduct individual doping control. Given the “doping history in Russia”, the IOC has established strict anti-doping conditions for each individual athlete who wishes to compete in status neutral.”

Creeping boycott

Politics runs the risk of completely devouring sport if now the franticness does not engage in its own self-reflection. There have already been reports that the Swedish national team may boycott the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Turkey due to the tense situation between the countries and the burning of the Koran with the permission of the Swedish authorities … And this is no longer a familiar Russian question.

For our athletes, participation in the European Championship is closed. Of course, I would like to be happy for the six athletes who have just received approval from the International Association of Athletics Federations for neutral status applications. And for those athletes who already had permission to compete last year (73 athletes), World Athletics extended their admission to 2023. But this neutral status is the one, but not yet the one that we have to talk about so much in connection with the speeches of all our leaders.

Athletics in Russia has been deprived of its rights since November 2015 on the basis of an investigation by the WADA commission, our federation has been deprived of membership in World Athletics, and the suspension of the ARAF has been repeatedly extended. Athletes have been participating in international tournaments for seven years without a flag or an anthem. Hence – and obtaining a neutral status for each season on an individual basis. But the possession of it does not give the right to speak at all: due to the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee, athletes from Russia and Belarus should not be allowed to compete.

… So, for example, Olympic champion Maria Lasitskene, like many of our leaders, says: I prepare, I train, I compete, I don’t listen to anything, I do what depends on me. Athletes – not just track and field athletes – have this way of understanding themselves and assessing their feelings, behavior, desires and emotions.