The position of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently become somewhat more categorical. Perhaps it is related to the recent public attacks on IOC President Thomas Bach by high-ranking Russian officials. Attacks came from both Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, and the press chief of Vladimir Putin’s administration, Dmitry Peskov, were particularly active. The latter two already call the IOC and Bach racist.
Lavrov, on the other hand, is strongly against the admission of Israel to the Paris Games, which is said to be against many Arab countries. According to him, the situation is absolutely analogous to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Having “restricted their human rights”. It’s almost a tragicomedy in these statements against the background of the war started by Russia. In Russia, there are already calls to withdraw the Order of Russia awarded to Thomas Bach in 2014 (the IOC already revoked the Olympic Gold Order to Putin in 2022, which Juan Antonio Samaranch presented in 2001).
Russia and its athletes feeling insulted. I wonder how Ukrainian civilians must feel – war and some restrictions are not adequately comparable things. There will be no complete ban on participation in the games.
The possible number of neutral athletes could even exceed 50 from Russia and 25 from Belarus.
Most people in the democratic world are already confused about this fact, but this is the decision of the IOC, which also delegates many things to the international federations to decide.
It is clear that Russia cannot compete in team sports, the management of athletics with “World Athletics” has been very strict from the big individual sports. headed by President Sebastian Coe. Representatives of the aggressor countries were not allowed to participate in official races, they could not even theoretically fulfill the qualification and period. Clear and understandable.
There are federations that are stricter, and there are those that are more loyal to the representatives of the aggressor states. There is also the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which actually does not manage or influence professional tennis in any way on a daily basis. It has no power, all professional adult tournaments are held by the ATP and WTA, but the criteria for participation in the Olympic Games are developed by the ITF, and one of them is participation in team matches in the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup for their national teams in the last Olympic cycle.
Russian and Belarusian tennis players have not been allowed there for two years, so the criteria have not been met. However, the ITF allows them to play in Paris because it is determined by the ranking (all right there).
Absurd – the president of the ITF is an American and 13 of the 16 members of the board represent democratic countries. Regardless, the decision is the same, and it is even possible to participate in doubles, which, however, is a type of small teams similar to beach volleyball. Absurd and incomprehensible.
I have nothing against Daniil Medvedev, he has been living in the West for a long time and has also publicly spoken out against the war in Ukraine. Nothing against Daria Kasatkina, who is a big critic of Putin and because of her sexual orientation is generally undesirable in Russia. Even if everyone else had the same views, even then there are a lot of uncertainties, because one criterion – playing in the national team – has not been fulfilled. In addition, tennis is on the big stage of sports every day, one of the main types in individual forms, and the attention is much greater than many other sports and disciplines.
Neutral athletes will be in Paris, and the absolute majority of fans will already know who they are and where they are from. Not all of them are to blame for this, but that’s how life has become now. If the position is strict and adequate for everyone and everywhere, then normal-thinking Russian athletes would soon decide to accept the citizenship of another country and Russia’s greatness, at least in sports, would become less. Likewise, sport is politics for them. The titular swimmer Anastasia Kirpichnikova and the Serbian wrestler Aleksandrs Komarov have just accepted French citizenship.
The IOC adopted the final criteria for the status of neutral athletes – this also applies to technical staff and medical representatives.
The most important thing is that these athletes will not have to sign a declaration of political neutrality and condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
If this point were left, then the choice would actually be very clear – otherwise, in Russia, such athletes would face criminal punishment. The door is now legally open. Well, a special commission consisting of three people has been created, where the famous Spanish basketball player and now the head of the IOC Ethics Commission Pau Gasol will work. It is difficult to imagine how they will manage as a trio, it is also necessary to study the activities of all candidates on social media over several years, and to track their previous statements in public space and interviews. It will take quite a lot of people to explore everything properly, but that’s not a problem, of course.
Obviously, there will be no playing of the national anthem in Paris for these athletes, the uniforms must be neutral (white if possible), with only the emblem of neutral athletes (AIN). No use of national colors in tracksuits, bags or equipment, hair or nail coloring, tattoos, no Georga ribbons, no Z letters. Don’t mention the country in interviews etc.
Six general points are developed:
- Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be able to compete only as neutral athletes, which is indicated by a special abbreviation AIN (French Neutral Individual Athletes)
- You cannot participate in team sports
- Athletes or service personnel who have actively supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will not be allowed to participate in the games
- Those who have contracts with government bodies, army clubs or security services are not allowed
- All neutral athletes are subjected to doping tests
- Sanctions against official representatives of Russian and Belarusian authorities and sports management remain in force.
A separate code has been developed in more detail for each individual. It’s salt – any announcements, recordings, interviews may be made only in your own name, dissociating yourself from the state and military structures and the national Olympic committee.
Yes, there are restrictions, but it hardly changes the essence so radically, because representatives of the aggressor countries can exceptionally compete in the games. They cannot be evaluated in the national ranking (the media of other countries can also be punished for this, if neutral athletes are included in the table in this evaluation).
If consistency were observed in all forms and federations, there would be no claptrap.
Aggressor countries still have to think whether to allow their neutral athletes to compete or not. Legally, it should be decided by the athletes themselves (as it is in real life in these countries, we understand). Those who are connected to Russia by everyday life and financial dependence have no special choice, unlike tennis players. There is still a clause in the rules that prohibits boycotting countries from participating in the next two games (this time it refers to democratic countries).
At the end of February, Putin allegedly instructed the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee to compile proposals for the possible start of their athletes in Paris. For now, there is no real consensus and the decision should be made in May.
And also – the IOC is already warning the national Olympic committees about possible participation in the alternative Commonwealth Games organized by Russia and the consequences of this participation. At the Games in September 2024 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, 33 sports will be represented and the organizers hope for the participation of 6,500 athletes from about 70 countries. It can threaten to split. The division in the world has already happened and the same is expected in sports.
It is already clear that there will be runners-up for Russia’s alternative games in the world.
We’ll see what’s what in the near future. The head of the Paris City Hall, Ane Hidalgo, has clearly stated that she does not want to see representatives of the Argesor countries at the Paris Games. Idalgo, however, cannot legally decide this in his position. Tony Estangue, head of the organizing committee, is not so categorical. French President Emmanuel Macron has long been considered too democratic in his relations with Russia, but now he too has announced that he will demand Russia end the war during the Games. It could happen, but what will be the consequences if the requirement is not met? Do not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes in France? We’ll see, we’ll see, there will be many more interesting developments.
2024-03-25 14:14:27
#Maris #Rīmenis #Criteria #Paris #Games
