Russia at the Olympics, Zelensky: «An idea that upsets me»

The hypothesis came from the president of the International Olympic Committee, the German Thomas Bach: readmit the Russia at Olympic Games. Russian athletes, but especially their flag, have been missing for several editions. First there was the disqualification for the doping scandal of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games laboratory. Then some of the athletes were readmitted, but under a neutral flag and without the national anthem. Since last February 24 Russia, with all its representative teams, like Belarus, have been banned from all international competitions, a decision taken after the invasion ofUkraine.

The president of the IOC says that sport has the task of uniting peoples and people and is trying to convince the federations to readmit Russian and Belarusian athletes. It would be the way to qualify for the Games (the first are those of Paris 2024) and therefore for the participation of Russian athletes, even without a flag and anthem, as was the case with the doping scandal and as Russian athletes in individual sports are doing, for example tennis in which the only exclusion is the one, widely criticized, by the United Kingdom.

“If sanctions remain out of the question, the fact remains that the issue of athletes’ participation is different from that of punishing the nations to which they belong. What we never wanted to do is ban athletes from competing just because of their passport. We must overcome this dilemma and return to sporting merits, not political meddling» reads a statement from the Olympic Committee. On Bach’s side is French President Macron who will host the Games in Paris “open to all nations, in the Olympic spirit, including those at war”.

A clear no came from Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky he told the number one of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach during a phone call, as reported by the New York Times. «Since February, 184 Ukrainian athletes have died as a result of Russia’s actions. One cannot try to be neutral when the foundations of peaceful life are destroyed and universal human values ​​are ignored. Russians have always used sport as a propaganda tool. The idea that Russia and Belarus can compete again at international level shocks me. The only serious response to a terrorist state consists in its complete isolation even in the sporting context”. The Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, Vadym Guttsait, he added: “We will do everything in our power not to have Russians and Belarusians competing and not having their flags hoisted on the mast until the war is over.” Sport is never just sport, but in this case it goes beyond politics, we talk about war.

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