International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Thursday criticized negative reactions from several European countries to a possible partial reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into world sport, deeming the political interference “deplorable”.
“It is regrettable to see that these governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement, nor the autonomy of the sport”the German leader told the press after a three-day meeting of the IOC Executive Committee.
Bach’s insistence on this “autonomy” in the sporting sphere is not recent, as he was unable to defend his fencing team’s title at the 1980 Moscow Games, due to the boycott imposed by several Western governments against the competition held in the 1980s. former Soviet Union. Union.
Last Tuesday, the day the IOC announced its recommendation for a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions under the use of a neutral flag and the fulfillment of a series of conditions, the director expressed his “strong rejection of any political interference in the ability of sports organizations to make their own decisions about participation in competitions”.
Bach even hardened his tone this Thursday in response to the position of several governments, such as the German sports minister, who denounced the commission’s recommendation as “a slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes” and the head of the Polish diplomacy, who “found” it. a day of shame for the IOC”.
The leader found it “regrettable” that governments are unable to analyze the situation from a different perspective, explaining that of the approximately “70 armed conflicts going on in the world”, only the war in Ukraine exerts political pressure on the sports world.
Actors in the Olympic movement (national Olympic committees, international federations, athlete representatives) “are deeply concerned about the politicization of the sport,” he added.
However, the IOC president said the body will decide “at an appropriate time” on the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics, initially limited to individual events and under a neutral flag.
Source: DN
