On Monday, 34 nations demanded the IOC define neutrality to let Russian athletes back into international sports and the Paris Olympics.
As long as these fundamental difficulties and the significant lack of clarity and clear details regarding a workable neutrality paradigm remain unaddressed, we do not think that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete again.
Nations Request To Ban Russian Athletes From Paris Olympics
Representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Canada, and Germany signed the statement. These five nations sent around one-fifth of all Olympic athletes to Tokyo in 2021. The proclamation, which was signed by Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Denmark, did not mention a potential Olympic boycott if the crisis persists.
The statement was the conclusion of a February 10 conference in London involving government officials, who heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia’s athletes have no place at the Paris Games, according to Zelensky, as long as the invasion of Ukraine continues.
The International Olympic Committee is attempting to find a means to admit Russians to the Olympics, citing the judgment of United Nations human rights experts who feel that Russians and Belarusians should not be subject to discrimination based solely on their passports.
The IOC desires that participants from nations that have not backed the war be able to compete as neutral athletes, with no national emblems permitted. The body has already begun outlining the conditions under which Russians could compete in an international competition if it decides to continue on its current course.
It is a choice that must be made far in advance of the 2024 Summer Olympics, as 2023 marks the beginning of the Olympic qualification era. Russia and Belarus generally considered part of Europe in the international sports system, have instead been asked to compete in some Asian qualifiers later this year. The next meeting of the IOC executive board is scheduled for March 28-30.
The statement on behalf of the United States was signed by Assistant Secretary of State Lee Satterfield. In a second statement, she stressed the need for the IOC to clarify neutrality’s definition.
The United States will continue to join a global community of nations to hold Russia and Belarus and the terrible actors who dictate their behavior accountable for this brutal war, Satterfield said.
Russia has often demonstrated that it disregards and is incapable of abiding by the rules of international sport and international law.
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IOC Opens Door For Russian, Belarusian Athletes
While conceding that there was a case for them to compete as neutral athletes, the Russian and Belarusian government officials underlined in a joint statement how strongly sports and politics are entwined in their respective countries. Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago Friday and Belarus has been Russia’s closest ally.
We have serious reservations about the viability of Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes competing as ‘neutrals’ under the IOC’s rules of no association with their nation, given that they are directly paid and supported by their respective governments, unlike professional tennis players.
Strong links and ties between the Russian military and Russian athletes are also grounds for concern. Hence, our collaborative approach has never been based exclusively on the national bias, but the IOC must address these serious problems.
As a safety precaution, the IOC advised sporting bodies to prohibit Russian athletes from tournaments when the war broke out. This position shifted at the beginning of this year. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, stated last week that the IOC stands in solidarity with Ukrainian athletes, but that all athletes’ human rights must be respected.
History will show who is doing more for peace. The ones who strive to keep lines open, to communicate, or the ones who wish to isolate or divide, Bach remarked. Earlier last week, European Union politicians denounced the IOC’s efforts to reintegrate Russia into world sports.
The EU parliament encouraged the 27 member states to pressure the IOC to rethink its decision and claimed the Olympic body’s stance was a disgrace to the worldwide world of sport.
While requesting clarification from the IOC, Monday’s statement stated that the shortest way for Russia to return to the world sports scene would be to halt the conflict it started.
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