Olympic champion Svoboda, a soldier from Dukla, refused to ban Russia from the Olympics. The Minister of Defense reacts

The Olympic champion in the modern pentathlon and the chairman of the Athletes’ Commission of the Czech Olympic Committee, David Svoboda, is facing a wave of criticism for his neutral stance on the issue of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympics in Paris or only in qualifying tournaments. He got it from Defense Minister Jana Černochová (ODS) and former goalkeeper Dominik Hašek.

“208 of our athletes expressed their opinions in the survey and the results were ambiguous. It is not possible to take a general position from this. This is a neutral result and my opinion is neutral. I am personally convinced that politics does not belong in sport,” said David Svoboda in an interview with a Czech TV host in response to the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which recommended international sports federations to allow the return of neutral Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions.

Minister Černochová immediately condemned his attitude. “I saw with my own eyes what atrocities Russia is committing. No! It is not normal for Russian and Belarusian athletes to go to the Olympics, which Ukrainians will not go to, because they defend their homeland or kill them. I don’t understand how a soldier and an Olympian can dispute this!” she said in her response.

I saw with my own eyes what atrocities Russia is committing. No! It is not normal for Russian and Belarusian athletes to go to the Olympics, which Ukrainians will not go to because they are defending their homeland or have killed them. I don’t understand how a soldier and Olympian can dispute this!https://t.co/gLsIulefKO pic.twitter.com/ZbZWpaperm

— Jana Cernochova (@jana_cernochova) March 29, 2023

“So Mr. Svoboda (the representative of the athletes’ commission) supported the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in ‘our’ competitions. He has the right to do that. It must be said, however, that he supported Russian propaganda (advertising) for war, killing and crimes, including the genocide of Ukrainian children, and he must bear all the consequences for that,” Dominik Hašek told Svoboda.

So Mr. Svoboda (representative of the athletes’ commission) supported the participation ???? and ???? athletes in “our” competitions. He has the right to do that. However, it must be said that he supported Russian propaganda (advertising for) war, killing and crimes, including the genocide of Ukrainian children, and must bear all the consequences for this https://t.co/pXqS34TePt

— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) March 29, 2023

“I said that I would not take any positions when there is no agreement at the national or international level and that I would consider it a mistake. I still stand by it. It was obvious from some of the reactions that they were not understood. In fact, I wouldn’t change anything, I don’t even know what could have been the most sensitive. It just seems to me that even someone who takes a neutral position is actually against it. But there’s probably nothing you can do about it,” said Svoboda pro afterwards Daily.

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