“The return of the Russians is important for the Olympic movement”

The United States Olympic Committee (USOPC) supports the participation of Russians in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, said USOPC head Suzanne Lyons. On Friday, the Olympic summit took place in Lausanne, Switzerland. His final declaration spoke of universal support for the initiative to review protective measures, which consists in not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. At the same time, it was stated that sanctions against Russia and Belarus should remain in force, which include, in particular, the performance of athletes without a national flag and anthem and a ban on holding competitions.

“It may be unpleasant to realize, but the exclusion of the Russians throws us back, their return is really important for the Olympic movement. At the same time, we continue to support the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian athletes. The United States supports the search for opportunities to return to competition for athletes who have trained for this all their lives, but we are strongly opposed to them returning under the national flag, while their countries are under sanctions, ”The Wall Street Journal quotes Suzanne Lyons .

Since the end of February, the United States has actively advocated for the removal of Russians from the competition. “Then, as operational measures, everyone had to be divided. Yes, we fully supported the suspension then. But at the Olympic summit, the question was raised – has the need for protective measures remained the same? Although the catalyst for the situation is still present, it is obviously the conflict in Ukraine, the issue of the safety of athletes is no longer so acute, ”said Ms. Lyons.

At the same time, even if the Russians are admitted, there remains a threat that some countries, on their own initiative, will prohibit them from participating in competitions on their territory. “This is a serious violation of the Olympic Charter. We do not want individual countries to decide for political reasons with whom they or their athletes should or should not interact, ”she emphasized.

At the end of February, the IOC, as a protective measure, recommended that international sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. “RIA News”