The IOC wanted to return Russia strictly: I wasn’t, I wasn’t involved, I don’t support

At the end of September, Thomas Bach said in an interview that Russian athletes who do not support the special operation in Ukraine should be able to compete in international competitions in a neutral status. It was a trial balloon.

How can we separate politics from sports? Or vice versa? Is it possible at all, and especially in the current situation? A lot of emotions. They cannot be. This is a new statement of the IOC, it is also a well-forgotten old one. Is it a scam, another speculation that simply ignites another round of confrontation in sports, or an attempt to at least give something back?

Suspension from starts on the “national question” was doomed to cancellation. But the whole year it worked and still continues to work. During this time, the increasing degree of hatred in some sports, letters of protest, blackmail – if they appear, we will leave – have become so commonplace that it’s not even scary.

Now the IOC is still ready to take back the “protective measures”. An “overwhelming majority of the participants in the consultations” opposed sanctions against athletes “solely because of their nationality.” At the same time, the IOC even reinforced the new position with UN letters in the field of protecting cultural rights and combating modern forms of racism, and with a resolution of the UN General Assembly: sport has a unifying and reconciling nature.

In short, the IOC could not resist and said: “no athlete can be excluded from competitions only because of his passport, and governments should not decide which athletes can compete and which cannot.” At the same time, he immediately offered passports from the athletes of Russia and Belarus and took them away. Is that how it works? “Athletes will compete as ‘neutral athletes’ and will in no way represent their state or any other organization in their country,” the IOC said in a statement.

We kept saying: the IOC (in the person of Bach) wants to sit on two chairs. And all the time it seemed that the organization had driven itself into a trap by removing Russian and Belarusian athletes, citing difficult thoughts about safety, and now it is trying to get out of it. And drove, and tries. But Thomas Bach still sits on the same chair, without changing. And sits on it for many years.

And the new “notion” fits perfectly into the previous schemes: now the IOC intends to continue studying with international federations ways to return our athletes to international competitions “under strict conditions.” While they are spelled out as follows: the status is neutral, athletes who “did not oppose the IOC peacekeeping mission, actively supporting the IOC” will be allowed to start. And, of course, complying with the WADA code.

To check whether someone is suitable or not suitable for international starts, there will be some commissions individually. Not created yet. But they will check everyone who will be declared to speak in a neutral status. How? And each federation may have its own verification criteria. We recall the story of two-time Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov, who at the Olympic Games in Tokyo became the first Russian in a quarter of a century to win gold in swimming. Zhenya received a nine-month disqualification from FINA “for participating in an event at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on March 18” in the concert of the Day of the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia. FINA stated that the swimmer’s actions tarnish the image of the sport, swimming and the organization. More than one Rylov was present at the concert, but only one federation passed the punishment.

Unfortunately, Russian athletes have also already passed individual checks. Before the Olympic Games in Korea, none of the Olympians knew for sure whether they would reach Pyeongchang 2018. North Korea was persuaded to take part in the Olympics, and we were cut down on the list of “Olympic athletes from Russia.” Then Russia was allowed to bring only a reduced team: without Anton Shipulin, Sergei Ustyugov, Viktor An, Denis Yuskov, Pavel Kulizhnikov … And IOC President Thomas Bach said that Russia should appreciate this.

“Brother, we are with you,” the then titled biathlete Anastasia Kuzmina wrote loudly. Speaking for another country, even Shipulina’s sister could not afford a sharper reaction. Our athletes were not expected at the main start of the four-year period, like everyone else, but without explanation, they were invited selectively.

True, when bewilderment had already poured out beyond Russia and even the heads of some international federations were asked to explain why world leaders were not allowed into Korea, the IOC nevertheless published the admission criteria. There were 17 of them in total: one did not fit for punishment – you can apply the other, and to any athlete. For example, the WADA confidential information clause: data obtained from the WADA Whistleblower Program and other sources.

Then all the questions revolved around doping. Today, politics rules. And the data “from sources”, on the basis of which “strict rules” suddenly work, can be as much as you like. He plays for the wrong club or learns from the wrong coach, and there are also relatives …

Even funny? But the case of the same Rylov, who now clearly does not have any status at all, if everything voiced by the press release comes to life, began only with the dissatisfaction of the Ukrainian swimmer Andrei Govorov, who was supported by the Romanian athlete. And FINA then accepted their complaint. And the sponsors demanded an explanation from Rylov. The laconic answer “no comment” led to the termination of the contract, moreover, the British sent a penalty to the UN to support Ukraine … Yevgeny Rylov “disgraced” FINA with an expression of his civil position – in his own city, not during the start. And even silently, without words.

Is the current statement that our athletes will be allowed to compete in international competitions, is this the transfer of a heavy part of the body of the IOC to our chair? Or is the IOC devil in the details again? The ones that haven’t been announced yet. For example, how will the “purity of mind” checkers force each athlete to prove their agreement with the “IOC peacekeeping mission”? Shouldn’t I personally sign the paper: I am against the actions of the country? What exactly can they “remember” for him: a rally, a parade or statements on social networks? And if he did not have time to say, but the coach did? And applications from military personnel, who in our sport, as in the sport of other countries, are many, will not be accepted at all?

Is it possible to consider all these questions as empty horror stories, but in fact … It is impossible. Over the last Olympic cycles, life has taught me this. And generally taught.

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There is also something in common that we all think about and argue about for more than a year. Neutral flag – evil or a way out of the situation, agree or categorically deny? This question in the present conditions will be very acute, even more acute than before. For every athlete, for every leader.

The position of the IOC is this: the nationality of an athlete should not determine whether he will be allowed to participate in international tournaments. These are the principles of the sport. But for every principle, for some reason, there is an exception. And now this exception is Russia and Belarus.

And now even the mayor of Paris, the city that will host the next Olympic Games 2024, speaks to the press with his vision of the situation: I want the delegation from Russia to compete under a neutral flag, as it has already happened, and not under their own. The message is the same: in the current situation it is unacceptable to allow Russia to participate in international competitions, the majority at the IOC summit opposed the idea of ​​nationality being decisive, “but in the case of Russian and Belarusian athletes, we must comply with strict conditions.”

And the first responses to the IOC press release have already flown: the NOC of Ukraine spoke, its president Vadim Gutzeit said that if Russia is admitted to international competitions, even on the terms of the IOC, Ukrainian athletes can boycott the Olympic Games. And the UK has already spoken, its Minister of Digital Technologies, Culture, Media and Sports Donelan, quoted by the Times newspaper, said that the voiced position of the IOC is now inappropriate. Therefore, the UK intends to urgently develop a common opinion with like-minded countries on this issue.

The ROC strongly disagrees with any restrictions, additional requirements and sanctions that relate to the nationality of our athletes and are again offered as a condition for returning to the international arena. “The priority for us is the same – ensuring the rights and interests of our athletes. On an equal footing, without discrimination,” says ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov. And he emphasizes: “I perceive the information from the IOC as an attempt to take a step towards the athletes, but at the same time, unfortunately, it is also two steps back in the opposite direction.”

Will it be possible to separate politics from sports in the time remaining before the next Olympic Games? Maybe there is a light at the end of this tunnel too? While the IOC rolled out the second trial balloon. But it is already more powerful than the first. And no longer a ball, but a stone. Sound, cover them with words or not, political demands. Whatever the admission criteria may turn out to be in the end, it is this very essence that will pulsate in the bare residue.