The IOC chose three letters for Russia for the Olympics: Ukraine is eager to check the lists

Strange as it may sound, there are no questions left for us with the Olympic Games in Paris. There is only one, stuck in the “continuous standby” mode. This time we will look for clarity: who exactly, based on the requirements of the IOC (and we also keep in mind possible initiative in the interpretation of the criteria of international federations), will go to Paris? There will be many Russian athletes who did not make it there; will there be future participants?

Now many have begun to calculate: which sports still have the opportunity to qualify, and which have practically no more qualifications left. But there is no point in this scrupulous search for theoretical chances. Because even those who have passed the qualifications may suddenly turn out to be unreliable: either the wrong like will be found, or the interpretation of the athlete’s connections with someone or something will turn out to be extremely harsh. Here, the proverb that is familiar to everyone, although it previously had a slightly different meaning, “in the garden there is an elderberry, and in Kyiv there is a man” will work perfectly. Each applicant has already devoted considerable effort to searching for the “elderberry” for the sake of the “guy.”

Those who have qualifying points and have passed these same supervisory commissions will be able to see Paris 2024 and not die on the lists on the way to it, and then show their sporting character. The IOC has long rolled out the criteria; everyone who is interested knows them literally by heart: do not walk, do not sing, do not speak, do not wear, do not demonstrate anything connected with Russia and support for the Northern Military District. Also, have no relation to Dynamo, CSKA, or the Russian National Guard. Of course, don’t gather as a team anywhere, it’s prohibited, a couple is already a team.

Before the official announcement by the IOC on the admission of neutral individual athletes, only one question remained: would the IOC want to add a political declaration to the participation criteria invented for Russia and Belarus that already existed and were tested at the starts? He didn’t want to, but emphasized that he would need to sign a certain document, like all other participants in the Games: “Conditions of participation in the 2024 Olympics.” And he emphasized that there is a clause about respect for the Olympic Charter and the “peaceful mission of the Olympic movement.”

This “peaceful” mission has allowed our athletes to receive only eight quotas to date (apparently, four for wrestlers and four for cycling). There will be more, but not many. But those who apply to use these quotas in Paris are not exempt from the criteria. Have you already gone through selection committees before being admitted to international competitions? And what? Now the Olympic Games are ahead, start over.

And therefore: all athletes will receive personal invitations from both the IOC and international federations, will be checked by both, and also by “independent structures”. The Olympic family was directly insured from all sides, no matter how someone who was especially prominent in their love for Russia would slip through.

“The IOC will insist on an independent evaluation of each qualified AIN (Individual Neutral Athlete) and each member of staff proposed by the International Federations.” The IOC also has a voluntary assistant in the difficult task of “finding the unwanted”. Ukraine, which in words at first quite traditionally intended to boycott the Games because of the admission of our athletes, then quickly changed its mind and promised to vigilantly monitor all contacts and data of those who will be allowed to Paris from Russia. “We will closely monitor compliance with the conditions of neutrality of Russian and Belarusian athletes, and report to the IOC and international sports federations about any violations and abuses of this status.”

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There is one more point in the conditions for the participation of our athletes: any activity related to the national flag and other symbols is prohibited – “before, during and after the Olympics in Paris.” For example, “participation in any national events related to participation in the 2024 Olympics.” Apparently, the IOC is well informed about how our athletes are seen off and greeted before and after the Olympic Games, and they were probably often envious. If someone is noticed at such an event, or indeed in front of the flag and anthem, then sanctions will follow – up to and including the disqualification of the athlete and the cancellation of the result shown at the Games.

Right here – you can’t erase the words from the song: “I understand: this is a hint, I’m catching everything on the fly, but it’s not clear what exactly you meant.” The IOC has only one hint, which the organization would really like to legitimize (however, it is possible to act in violation of laws): the state should stand in the corner on peas, turning to face the wall. But “national events” are not only a rally or a ceremonial farewell. What about the Russian championship, where the anthem is sung and the flag is raised, and indeed any internal start today? Does the IOC prohibit athletes who have received neutral status from appearing there? Like – once you got it, now get out of the country altogether, because how do the corner rules always apply to you, and not just during the Games? That is, you need to see Paris 2024, visit it and still “die” – for the country.

Thus, with a slight movement of the hand, Olympic values ​​are transformed into a twisted, even ugly, interpretation of these values. The IOC banned our national symbols on its Olympic territory – this is a decision that it made as the host of the event. Not an honest owner, not a reasonable one, making a mistake for the sake of politics, but dictating the rules, not paying attention to protests, pursuing his own interests here and now. And for some reason he decided that he had the right to go further, declaring: your national flag even on your native land becomes an insult to the Olympic family, even appearing nearby is prohibited.

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Over the past days after the announcement of admission to the Olympic Games, many of our athletes have already admitted: the plans remain the same, let the IOC play its games. And the focus in the upcoming summer season is on the Friendship Games and BRICS, the two main international competitions that will take place this year.

But the IOC has its own focus here (in a different sense of the word). It again lies in the same threat of disqualification and deprivation of the result. And the IOC’s concerns are clearly visible from everywhere. Even at the Olympic summit (a few days before the announcement of Russia’s admission), it was announced: the Summer Sports Association and the Winter Sports Association confirmed their recommendations to international federations “not to take any part in politically motivated sporting events.” The IOC reminded that each federation should refuse to consider including such events in its international sports calendar and “should not recognize the results achieved by athletes at these competitions.”

In an attempt to immediately nip the new “Russian evil” in the bud, the IOC even managed to declare that the events “will be organized by the same Russian government that was involved in the systematic doping program at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, and later in the manipulation of anti-doping data.” . The heavy artillery has arrived: the head of WADA, Witold Banka, is already threatening that the possible participation of signatories of the WADA code in the Friendship Games may entail consequences.

Characters well known to us do not hesitate to express negativity about future Russian launches. At the same time, there are not particularly enough arguments “against”. For example, Sebastian Coe, the head of world athletics, notes rather flowerily: “I am not very impressed with the idea of ​​​​the Friendship Games. Several federations made inquiries regarding participation in these competitions, we responded that this does not really coincide with our values.”

True, judging by the fact that Coe is simply running contrary to the calls of Bach and the IOC decisions on neutral athletes, the Briton and the Olympic family also have different values. Not a single one of our track and field athletes (even those who are crystal clear from the point of view of at least a dozen commissions on meeting the criteria) will be in Paris. Because the priority right to execute or pardon, as Coe decided, belongs to the international federations, and not the IOC at all. So what if the Olympic Games? And this “I decided so, as I said, so it will be” is a very serious hint to the IOC itself. Who is the boss in the Olympic house? But a bad example is contagious.

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However, we can now think about the fate of the Olympic family, of course, but it is not particularly necessary, or rather, it is not relevant. But it’s relevant, and very different. There is also life after the Olympic Games (no matter how many Russian athletes there will be, if any). And developing the sport internally will have to be done in very difficult ways. Using the example of the harsh pressure of the Friendship Games, which are just starting next fall, it is clear: there will be a lot of sticks in the wheels of any undertakings that foreign athletes are vying for participation.

And the desire to get our athletes for the national teams of other countries is no less. Behind the anticipation and then the announcement of the IOC’s decision on the participation of neutral athletes in the Olympic Games, information that the Badminton World Federation suspended the membership of the National Badminton Federation of Russia was not entirely noticeable. Why? For the same reason for which the IOC suspended the ROC: the inclusion of the badminton federations of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions into the NFBR. (The decision of the BWF board must now be confirmed at a general meeting in 2024.)

And just the day before, three of our athletes who changed their sports citizenship were allowed by the IOC to participate in the Games without serving quarantine. OCD has been suspended; permission was considered by the IOC to be unnecessary. And then there is no need to ask anything from the NFBR, if it is deprived of its status. And more federations can be led according to such a proven excommunication scheme. No rights – no questions of participation. And questions in general.

And the summer Games in Paris are followed by the winter ones, and so far not a single international federation has given permission for Russians to participate in their competitions. So, following the process of “neutralization” of our athletes, there is simply an endless amount of activity opening up for some, which is not at all strengthening world sport.

…In the meantime, entire presidents of the Baltic countries at a triple meeting in Tallinn have just stated that the decision of the International Olympic Committee on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Olympic Games in Paris should be cancelled. The guys are thinking about a boycott again, they have such games.