On Thursday, the Baltic states and Poland called on international sports organizations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the Olympics and other sporting events while the war in Ukraine continues.
“Any attempt by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bring back Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, even under a neutral flag, must be rejected,” said the sports ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia in a press release.
Last week, the IOC said athletes from Russia and Belarus, banned from competing in Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine, would be allowed to compete in the Asian qualifiers.
The position of the Baltic States and Poland is that “efforts to bring Russian and Belarusian athletes back to international sports competitions under the guise of neutrality will legitimize political decisions[России и Беларуси] and the large-scale propaganda of these countries.
The sports ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia have called on “all international sports organizations and federations” to withdraw Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until the end of the war against Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Latvia joined Ukraine’s statements about its intention to boycott the 2024 Olympics and qualifying competitions if Russian and Belarusian athletes participate as the war continues against Ukraine.
Recall that when last week it became known about the Olympic Council of Asia’s offer to Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Asian countries, this caused outrage in Kiev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said allowing Russia to participate in the Paris Olympics in 2024 would demonstrate that “terror is to some extent acceptable”.
However, organizers of the Paris Summer Olympics insist they will respect the IOC’s decision on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.
“Concerning the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Paris 2024 Games, it should be recalled that the qualification system is determined by the international federations, the IOC and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee)”, indicated the committee of Paris 2024 in a press release. .
The IOC notes that it is premature to talk about the admission of Russians to participate in the 2024 Olympics.
“The decision on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in the 2024 Olympics in Paris has not yet been made. We are talking about their participation in international competitions in Asia in the next summer sports season. In no documents published by the IOC, you will not find a mention of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris for athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport,” the IOC told the press on February 2.
In a January 25 statement, the IOC said athletes from Russia and Belarus could be allowed to compete in the Olympics in neutral status (without any association with the national flag, anthem or colors) and in full compliance. with anti-doping rules.
“No athlete should be denied the opportunity to compete solely because of their passport,” the statement read.
At the last three Summer Olympics, Russians have competed in neutral status, without the ability to use national paraphernalia, as punishment for doping fraud.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, and the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 2024.
