“Absolutely unreasonable”
Despite partial re-admission, Russia railed against the IOC
03/29/2023, 11:10 am
Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to return to the international sports stage under certain conditions. This outrages many who are on the side of Ukraine. But that also outrages Russia. The Russian sports minister is upset about “inhumanity”.
Sports officials in Moscow have sharply criticized the limited re-admission of their own athletes to international competitions. “The announced parameters and criteria for the return of Russians to international starts are absolutely unreasonable,” said Russia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC). After all, the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is an “admission of one’s own mistake” in completely excluding Russian athletes from international competitions.
Russia’s sports minister was also outraged: “The IOC’s recommendations to classify Russian athletes are unlawful and the individual decision on team sports is openly discriminatory,” wrote Oleg Matyzin on his ministry’s Telegram channel. The athletes prepared for the Olympics for years. “This is their work and their life. It is inhumane to take away this right from them.”
Shortly after the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine ordered by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, the IOC recommended banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from international sporting events. On Tuesday, the IOC spoke out in favor of allowing athletes from both countries to start again under certain conditions under a neutral flag. According to the decision, athletes with connections to the military and security organs as well as teams should remain excluded. A decision on allowing Russians and Belarusians to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will only be made at a later date, emphasized IOC President Thomas Bach.
“Obvious Discrimination”
In Moscow, the restrictions that are still in place are met with resistance. The neutral status is “obvious discrimination based on national origin”. In addition, the additional doping controls for Russian athletes are “unfounded, legally untenable and superfluous,” according to the Russian NOC. The officials also dislike the continuing disqualification in team sports and the ban on athletes who train in clubs that are close to the Russian army or other security agencies.
“Against this background, if we are basically being proposed to give up the dream of thousands of athletes for an Olympic medal, the proposed restrictions on the publication of certain content on social networks by Russian Olympians look like submission to external political pressure,” criticized das NOK also bans athletes from supporting Russia’s war in the media.