He International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended the reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into international competitionswith a neutral flag and “on an individual basis”, as long as they have not actively supported the war in Ukraine.
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But the executive commission of the organization will decide “at the appropriate time“his eventual participation in the Paris Olympic Games-2024what Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries threaten to boycott in case of Russian presence, specified the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach.
Under pressure for weeks to clarify its position, the Olympic body had announced last December to “explore means” to recover those suspended from world sport, after having recommended their exclusion at the end of February 2022due to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, with the support of Belarus.
The IOC, after four months of consultations with the entire Olympic world, chose to leave the international federations and competition organizers the primary responsibility for inviting Russian and Belarusian athletes or not, contenting itself with “recommendations” to “harmonize their decision”.
The executive of the instance thus suggests maintaining the exclusion of all Russian and Belarusian teams and limit the return to competition to athletes “holders of a Russian or Belarusian passport”, that they participate in an “individual” capacity, with a neutral flag, that “have not actively supported the war in Ukraine” and that do not have a contract with the Russian military or security services.
When the qualifications for the 2024 Games have already begun in some disciplines, the IOC, on the other hand, “has not addressed” the question of the Russian and Belarusian participation in the next Games, explosive, taking into account the threats of a boycott.
The Olympic organization will decide “at the appropriate time, without any relation to the results of qualifying competitions for the Games,” Thomas Bach announced.
The German Minister of Sports was the first to react, denouncing that the IOC recommendation is “a slap to Ukrainian athletes“.
“International sport must clearly condemn the brutal aggressive war waged by Russia. This can only be done by completely excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes.“Nancy Faeser said in a statement.
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