Russia accuses IOC chief Thomas Bach of ‘conspiracy’ to exclude its athletes
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MOSCOW – Russia accused International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on April 2 of taking part in a “conspiracy” with Ukraine to exclude its strongest athletes from the 2024 Paris Games.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the allegation after two Russian pranksters, known as Vovan and Lexus, published a recording of a conversation with the German, in which he was falsely led to believe he was speaking to an African sports official.
Bach said in the call that the IOC had established a special panel to monitor the media and the Internet and ensure that Russian athletes who had made political statements in support of their government could not take part in the Olympics.
“We have also offered to the Ukrainian side – not only offered, but asked them – to provide us with their knowledge of the behaviour of such (Russian) athletes or officials,” he could be heard saying in English on the recording.
Zakharova posted on Telegram that Bach had “entered into a political-administrative and, apparently, criminal conspiracy with one specific party” – meaning Ukraine – “to exclude strong sports competitors from international competitions”.
She added: “The relationship of IOC president Bach with the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and its officials, and the admissions of a ‘request to monitor Russian athletes’ should be the subject of a thorough investigation.”
Relations between Russia and the IOC have worsened sharply in the run-up to the Olympics, at which Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete as neutrals, without their flags and anthems, because of the war in Ukraine.
They have also been banned from taking part in the opening parade.
In March, Zakharova argued that this neutral status forces Russian athletes to “renounce any association with their homeland, with their citizenship, with their history, culture and people”.
Pre-empting the publication of the prank call, the IOC said in March that Bach had been the victim of a hoax.
“During the calls, a person pretending to be the chair of the African Union Commission wanted to have arguments in particular with the IOC against the politicisation of sport by the Russian government,” the IOC added.
The IOC has announced the establishment of a panel to evaluate the eligibility of every Russian or Belarusian athlete who qualifies for Paris – to be cleared to compete, athletes must not have actively supported the war in Ukraine and must not be contracted to any military or security agency.
Meanwhile, France’s sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said on April 3 that there was no “specific” terror threat to the Olympics and that the organisers were planning to go ahead with the opening ceremony on the river Seine.
An attack on a Moscow concert hall in March which left 140 people dead has revived fears for the Paris Games, which begin on July 26.
“Today, there is no specific terror-related threat targeting the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Youth and Sports Minister Ms Oudea-Castera told France 2 channel.
She said the opening ceremony on the Seine remained the “main plan” but suggested that an alternative was being prepared behind the scenes. REUTERS, AFP
