ROC has not made a decision regarding the trip to the 2024 Olympic Games

On Friday, the Olympic Meeting, which is the highest body of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), was held in Moscow. The key question that was expected to be answered was the reaction to the strict conditions for the participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Summer Games put forward by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, the meeting did not make any final decision. Both ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov and Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin generally duplicated the position outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the direct line on December 14. He said that he is in favor of “our athletes going to such competitions,” but we need to “now carefully analyze what conditions the IOC puts forward.”

On Friday, a meeting of the supreme body of the ROC, the Olympic Assembly, was held in Moscow. From a purely protocol event, held according to the regulations of the ROC at least once a year, this time they expected something important. For example, statements regarding whether Russian athletes will go to the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.

A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the participation of Russians in the Games straight line. The head of state said: “I have always said that athletes train for years and we need to give them the opportunity to perform at major competitions, including the Olympic Games. Everyone knows that this is our flag, everyone knows that this is our athlete, this is an obvious thing. That’s why I supported our athletes going to such competitions, but now we need to carefully analyze what conditions the International Olympic Committee puts forward.”

The IOC formulated the conditions for admission of Russian athletes in early December. They were no different from the criteria for admission of Russians and Belarusians to international tournaments published back in March. And only compliance with them allows you to qualify for a return to international competitions. These criteria are extremely strict. According to the decision of the IOC Executive Committee, Russians and Belarusians can participate in the Games only as neutral athletes. They themselves and their personnel must refrain from any activity related to the national flag, anthem, emblem or any other symbol of the Russian Federation, Belarus, national federations or Olympic committees, as well as from supporting the special military operation in Ukraine at any official event or in the media until , during and after the Games. In principle, participation in team events and disciplines is excluded.

That is, in Paris, Russian athletes in any case would not be able to compete not only in basketball or handball tournaments, but also, say, in synchronized swimming and group exercises in rhythmic gymnastics.

At the same time, a significant part of the qualifying competitions for the Games has already taken place. This means, in any case, even if the IOC conditions are met, the Russian delegation in Paris will be very modest. On December 14, the IOC reported that only six Russians and five Belarusians received licenses to participate in the Games.

“This is definitely not Olympism, this is something else. Ultimately, this leads to the destruction of world sports, and the perpetrators of all this disgrace will have to be held accountable to history,” said ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov. However, he, like President Putin, did not rule out the possibility for athletes to go to Paris. “As the head of the ROC, I voice a clear position: we perfectly understand our athletes who want to compete, strive to represent Russia, defend the honor of the country and their own honor. Everyone has the right to make their own choice. But you need to understand and remember that by agreeing to neutralization, athletes become hostages of other people’s interests,” said the ROC president, addressing the meeting delegates.

In addition, Stanislav Pozdnyakov outlined factors that could prevent even those Russians who have received neutral status from going to the Games. Thus, he recalled that the IOC recommendations mention that athletes who want to obtain neutral status must refuse funding from their national Olympic committee. According to Mr. Pozdnyakov, “neutral” Russians receiving financial support from the ROC will lead to a violation of the IOC criteria. This means that Russian athletes who do go to the Games will have to look for sources of funding for the trip on their own. This was confirmed by the President of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation Vasily Titov. “If an athlete decides to participate, he will need to look for sources of funding himself. We are ready to help, but we need to understand in what form he can receive this help, because according to the new rules he cannot be associated with either the ROC, or the federation, or the ministry,” Mr. Titov quotes “RIA News”.

Stanislav Pozdnyakov outlined another danger for Russian athletes. “We know very well that the Friendship Games, BRICS Games and other formats are being prepared. I think that if an athlete takes part in the Olympics, he will absolutely not be able to take part in the Friendship Games, which will be held after the Olympic Games. And if he takes part, his result at the Olympic Games will be annulled,” says the ROC president.

But the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Oleg Matytsin, urged people not to rush into making decisions. “I react to the situation calmly, with responsibility and with self-esteem,” he said TASS.—The President said quite clearly: everyone has the right to choose to participate in a neutral status. The conditions that exist today imply only a neutral status; no specific regulations for the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes have yet been announced. As soon as decisions are made in detail, we will organize our actions together with the ROC and our federations. That is, we have not heard anything new from the IOC yet.”

Alexander Petrov