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Fifteen months before the Olympic Games, the question of the place of Russian athletes has not yet been decided by the IOC, while Ukraine and some of its allies oppose their participation. At the same time, in Venezuela, dozens of athletes appeared on Friday April 21 at the opening of a sports competition alongside countries allied with Moscow.
« All standing to receive the Russia ! Under the cheers of the crowd, the 48 Russian athletes paraded all smiles behind their Russian flag in the La Guaira stadium, in the north of the Venezuela. From April 21 to 28, the delegation is “ special guest of the fifth games of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas (Alba) which brings together Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia. Qualified as ” world resistance delegation by the stadium announcer, the Russian team was greatly applauded by the spectators, including Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. In the gallery, the latter welcomed, he said ” to athletes from our sister russia ».
From the #21April until the #29April, 11 delegations from Latin America and the Caribbean and our special guest: Russia, will give their best in 33 sports disciplines to leave their countries on high. May sport and brotherhood triumph! Long live the V Sports Games of ALBA 2023! pic.twitter.com/4UWYLPCWIc
— Nicolas Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) April 21, 2023
Russian athletes banned from international sport
« This is the first time in a long time that we have participated under the Russian flag, and for the athletes and our people it is very important. Russian Deputy High Performance Minister Alexei Morozov told reporters upon the arrival of a first group of Russian athletes in Venezuela.
Russian athletes participated in the Tokyo Games in 2021, under the banner of their Olympic committee “ ROC and not of their country, following the revelation of a state doping policy. Russian athletes were then banned from competition after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The event therefore occurs in the midst of a period of uncertainty for Russian athletes. On March 28, the Olympic Committee laid down two conditions for their return to international competitions: they must not have supported the war in Ukraine and compete under a neutral banner, a last measure obviously not respected for the competitions in progress in the Venezuela.
However, every sport carries out its own policy For now. Some federations like fencing have accepted the return of Russians and Belarusians. When others like athletics oppose it.
► To read also: Focus – Paris 2024 Olympics: the thorny question of Russian and Belarusian athletes
(And with AFP)
