The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Tuesday demanded the participation of its athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics “under exactly the same conditions” as everyone else, while still recommending that Ukraine boycott the event as a form of protest.
“The Russians must participate under exactly the same conditions as all other athletes. Any additional conditions and criteria are not welcome, especially those that have a political component, which is absolutely unacceptable for the Olympic Movement,” said Stanislav Pozdnyakov, President of the COR.
After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened the door for the return of Russians and Belarusians to the competition, subject to certain rules, including the rules for flying under a neutral flag, several Ukrainian leaders who are fighting to avoid the participation scenario even admitted who missed this event.
“Our history shows that no attempt at a boycott has ever led to the success of the country that resorted to it. I ask Ukraine to refuse any kind of boycott,” the leader emphasized.
Indifferent to the demands of the IOC, including the obligation of athletes to compete under a neutral flag, the lack of national symbols of Russia and Belarus, or the fact that athletes did not show support for the war, Stanislav Pozdnyakov recalls that “the Olympic Charter provides that all athletes must participate on an equal footing.”
On the Ukrainian side, exposing the “hypocrisy” of the IOC and accusing it of “promoting war, murder and destruction.”
“Obviously, the money that buys the Olympic hypocrisy does not smell of Ukrainian blood. Is it Mr. Bach?” Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said, referring to the IOC president.
Prior to this, President Volodymyr Zelensky had already called the German Thomas Bach to visit Bakhmut so that he would “see with his own eyes that neutrality does not exist,” promising to work on “correcting the hypocrisy of the leadership of international Olympic structures.”
The IOC has shielded itself from the power of international federations, believing that it is they who should decide on the reinstatement of disqualified athletes.
Rejecting a possible Russian boycott of Paris 2024 in the face of IOC demands, Pozdnyakov recalls that the mission of the Olympic Movement is “to make the world a better place through sport.”
“And no boycott will help in this. Not only China supports us, as reported by the IOC, but most of the Olympic committees support our participation. Even those countries that are not our friends. Sports should remain out of politics,” he said. stressed the chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, with the vast majority of qualifying rounds already underway.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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