Ukraine condemns IOC recommendations on Russian, Belarusian athletes
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Ukrainians walk past the IOC's headquarters in Switzerland to protest against the return to competition of Russian athletes under a neutral flag.
PHOTO: AFP
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KYIV – Ukraine’s sports ministry on Wednesday condemned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for retreating from its principles by allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions as neutrals.
The IOC issued recommendations on Tuesday for the two nations’ athletes to gradually return to world sport, with president Thomas Bach saying their participation “works” despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine condemns the partial change of the position of the International Olympic Committee regarding the non-admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes,” the ministry statement said.
“We have consistently advocated and will continue to insist that under the conditions of the unprecedented unprovoked military aggression of the Russian Federation with the support of the Republic of Belarus, which contradicts the principles of the Olympic Charter, representatives of aggressor states should not be present at international sports arenas.”
The IOC has set a pathway for Russians and Belarusians to earn Olympic slots through Asian qualifying but has faced headwinds, with Ukraine and its allies threatening to boycott the 2024 Paris Games should they be allowed to compete, even as neutrals.
The guidelines announced on Tuesday, while seen as positive for Russia and Belarus, were not without restrictions.
Athletes from the two countries cannot take part in team events under their flags and must have a proven drug testing record, while those who support the war or are contracted to their countries’ military or national security agency are excluded.
Bach, meanwhile, hit back by saying that criticism by some European governments of the IOC’s plan is deplorable and cuts into the autonomy of sport.
Besides Ukraine, Poland, Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic are among others who have said that the Russians and Belarusians have no place in world sport with the war still ongoing.
“It is deplorable to see that some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement and all stakeholders, nor the autonomy of sport,” Bach said.
“It is deplorable that these governments do not address the question of double standards. We have not seen a single comment on their attitude on the participation of athletes from countries of the other 70 wars and armed conflict around the world.”
The Olympic Council of Asia’s athletes committee on Thursday fully backed the IOC recommendations, asking only for fairness for Asian competitors in any qualification pathway.
While the IOC supports the return of Russians and Belarusians, Russia’s Olympic Committee said that the criteria announced by the IOC
The Kremlin said via spokesman Dmitry Peskov that the guidelines contained “elements of discrimination” mainly because athletes must compete as neutrals and be subject to stricter drug testing.
The recommendations made by the IOC executive board concern the return of athletes to international competitions but not specifically the 2024 Paris Olympics, for which a separate decision will be taken at a later date.
Ukraine’s fencers, meanwhile, have welcomed their federation’s decision to boycott international competitions featuring Russians and Belarusians.
Fencers from the two countries were cleared to return to international events by global federation FIE’s extraordinary congress on March 10, days before the window for the 2024 Paris Games qualifying opens.
The move prompted Ukraine’s fencing federation (NFFU) to say it would boycott all events in which Russians and Belarusians were included, a message reinforced this week by its president Mykhailo Illiashev.
“The Russian and Belarusian fencers that take part in these competitions are mostly servicemen,” Illiashev said.
“They are in active service, with contracts and enlisted by the Russian army.
“How can one expect a Ukrainian to turn up at the competition, come to the fencing strip without any aggression to compete with a Russian soldier, shake his hand after the game? This is an impossible scenario.
“Unlike tennis, where there are no consequences, in fencing, failing to shake your opponent’s hand results in being disqualified.”
REUTERS, AFP
