Libya News 24 – Follow-ups
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be returned to international competitions under a neutral flag and “in an individual capacity,” provided that they do not actively support the war against Ukraine.
But the executive body of the international organization will decide “at the appropriate time” about their participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to what the German head of the committee, Thomas Bach, explained in a press conference on Tuesday, at a time when Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic countries are threatening to boycott the games if they participate.
“We want to monitor the implementation of these recommendations for as long as possible… so that we can make a clear decision,” Bach said, adding that his body “did not set a timetable… No one knows what will happen tomorrow or after nine months.”
After weeks of pressure to clarify its position, the Olympic Authority announced last December “exploring ways” to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to world sports, after recommending their exclusion at the end of February 2022 due to the war.
The International Olympic Committee decided, after four months of consultations with the entire Olympic world, to leave the international federations and competition organizers with the primary responsibility for whether or not to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes, and was content with “recommendations” in order to “harmonize their approach.”
The body’s executive body proposed maintaining the exclusion of all Russian and Belarusian teams, and limiting the return to competition to athletes “holding a Russian or Belarusian passport” as long as they compete “as an individual” and under a neutral flag, “do not actively support the war in Ukraine” and are not under contract with the Russian military or Security services.”
In response, Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov said that the standards recommended by the IOC are “discriminatory.”
Russian news agencies quoted Pozdnyakov as saying, “The announced criteria for returning to international competitions are unacceptable. This is discrimination based on nationality.”
While some qualifying competitions for the 2024 Olympics have begun, the International Olympic Committee “did not address” on Tuesday the issue of the participation of Russia and Belarus in the upcoming games, which is an explosive issue in light of boycott threats.
Bach announced that the Olympic Organization will decide “at the appropriate time, according to its sole discretion, and without being bound by the results of the qualifying competitions for the Olympics.”
German Sports Minister Nancy Weiser condemned this decision, which she considered “a slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes.”
“The international sports community must very clearly condemn Russia’s brutal war of aggression,” Pfizer said in a statement. “This can only be done by completely excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes.”
For its part, Poland criticized what it described as a “day of shame,” and Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzek said on his Twitter account, “What positive things has Russia provided for its athletes to now participate in competitions!! After the daily bombing of civilian sites!! It is a day of shame for the International Olympic Committee!!”
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2024-05-30 18:29:57