Ukrainians demand the continuation of the boycott

The desire of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), indicated by its President Thomas Bach, to return Russian athletes to international competitions, caused a predictably negative reaction from Ukraine and a number of its neighbors. In Ukraine, they have reached accusations of the IOC of venality. The reaction of the IOC was quite harsh. The organization denied all accusations and stated that the statements of the Ukrainian side “cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion.” In response, opponents of the return of Russians to international tournaments threatened to boycott the Games.

IOC President Thomas Bach’s statement that Russian athletes under certain circumstances could return to participate in international competitions caused an extremely nervous reaction from representatives of a number of states. Recallthat the head of the IOC in an interview Spiegel said that Russian and Belarusian athletes could take part in the 2024 Olympics under a neutral flag.

Mr Bach said the exclusion of athletes because of their passport “is not in line with the values ​​and mission of the Olympic Charter.”

“Perhaps Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympics in Paris,” he said. A little earlier in IOC also stated that only athletes who “fully” comply with both the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter can receive admission to international tournaments. Moreover, in the case of the basic document of the Olympic movement, we are talking about very specific things. An athlete cannot “oppose the peaceful mission of the IOC” by “actively supporting” a special operation in Ukraine. In addition, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) invited Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the 2024 Games through the Asian selection. This idea was previously approved by the overwhelming majority of the delegates of the Olympic summit, held in early January in Lausanne.

A detailed plan for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions does not yet exist. Speech by and large only about certain intentions. Moreover, as Rodion Plitukhin, Secretary General of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), said, the discussions concern “criteria and possible conditions for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes not to the Olympic Games, but to qualifying international competitions and qualifying tournaments, which are completely under the jurisdiction of international sports federations. “.

“The IOC is now individually discussing precisely this with international sports federations,” Mr. Plitukhin told the press service of the ROC.

Nevertheless, even a hint that Russian athletes can get out of international isolation, which was organized by the IOC itself in March last year, succumbing to the general trend set by Western states due to the events in Ukraine, and issuing a recommendation not to let Russians into international tournaments (the absolute majority of international sports federations immediately followed it), caused an extremely negative reaction from the Ukrainian authorities. Moreover, it seems disproportionate to the circumstances. In particular, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, accused the IOC of promoting violence and bribery from Russia. The IOC’s response was quite harsh. “The IOC rejects this and other slanderous statements in the strongest possible terms. They cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion,” the IOC said in a statement.

The position of the Ukrainian authorities was supported by a number of its neighbors. “When we, the countries, the people of the West, ourselves are looking for ways to help Russia, and we are trying through the back porch to weaken the isolation that we have formed in relation to Russia, to allow its athletes to compete in official competitions, this means that we are shooting ourselves in the foot,”— Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said. “The position of Latvia is as follows: if these Olympic Games were held now and it was expected that athletes from Russia and Belarus would participate in them, I think that the Latvian team would not go to these Games,” said, in turn, the chairman of the Olympic Committee Latvia Georges Tikmers. Polish Sports and Tourism Minister Kamil Bortnichuk went further, saying that his country and its allies do not rule out a boycott of the 2024 Games and intends to form an appropriate coalition. Also, Poland does not exclude the issuance of an ultimatum to the IOC. “Poland and the UK are at the forefront of efforts to build a coalition against the participation of Russia and Belarus in the Games in Paris. This will depend on whether it will be possible to create an effective coalition of countries without which the Olympic Games cannot take place, ”the portal quotes Bortnichuk. Insidethegames.

Finally, on February 3, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee intends to discuss the possibility of a boycott of the 2024 Games. about this in his Telegram channel said the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Jean Beleniuk.

According to the statement of the President of the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBR) Mikhail Mamiashvili on Match TV, a few years ago, Mr. Beleniuk “came and wept with tears so that we could take him to Russia.”

Meanwhile, there are people in Russia calling for a boycott of the Games. Two-time Olympic champion and president of the St. Petersburg Biathlon Federation Dmitry Vasilyev said “RIA News”that “OCD leadership needs to be tougher.” “Everyone there is trying to be kind of tolerant. I just do not understand what it is in the current conditions – the word “tolerance”. What does it mean? To make all concessions, that is, whatever we are ordered to do. In general, it is necessary to somehow defend the position of Russia and athletes in general. And if we are not allowed to perform with the flag and the anthem, of course, we must boycott the Olympics,” said Mr. Vasiliev.

However, as ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov said, a unilateral boycott of the Games will lead to a long-term isolation of Russian sports “for at least two Olympic cycles.”

Mr. Pozdnyakov also noted that the development of criteria for the admission of Russians to the Olympic qualifying competitions will take a month. “Now international sports federations are consulting with the IOC, on their basis conditions and approaches will be developed, which the IOC will publish later. At the moment, the political component is unacceptable for the international Olympic movement,” Stanislav Pozdnyakov told reporters on Tuesday. “Each sport has a unique situation, so it’s quite difficult to approach a universal approach. The IOC allocated at least a month for this work.”

Alexander Petrov