The head of the Ministry of Sports Matytsin declared the inadmissibility of a boycott of the Olympic Games

Russia should not categorically boycott the 2024 Olympic Games because of the decisions of the International Olympic Committee regarding Russian and Belarusian athletes. This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin. According to him, it is impossible to demand a boycott from the athletes themselves who were allowed to compete.

“We are facing unprecedented pressure from the international community, but athletes should not suffer from this. It is important not to cross borders and not sign declarations that violate our legislation,” the minister said at the “Integration 2024” forum (quoted from TASS). Mr. Matytsin added that the ministry is now developing recommendations for athletes on this matter, but the final decision will remain only with the athletes.

The head of the Ministry of Sports added that now the Olympic Games are still not the main competitions for Russia, since most domestic athletes will not take part in them.

Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko March 21 statedthat Russian athletes admitted to participate in the Olympics should still go to it. Head of the faction “A Just Russia – For Truth” Sergei Mironov named athletes who agreed to participate in the Games under a neutral flag as Nazi collaborators. The politician drew a parallel between the IOC’s demands for neutral status and the Third Reich’s policy of segregating Jews.

IOC Executive Board decidedthat in the upcoming Olympics Russian and Belarusian athletes can only take part in a neutral status and with a number of other restrictions. For example, athletes will not be able to take part in the opening ceremony of the Games. In case of victory, the awards ceremony for the athletes will take place to a specially prepared anthem without words. Only athletes who have not spoken out in support of the special operation in Ukraine and are not associated with security forces will be allowed to participate in the Olympics.

Read more about the situation with the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games in the Kommersant material. “We should probably go”.

Evgeny Belousov