Friday, March 29, 2024

Will Russia be allowed to compete at the Olympics?



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he advised France’s president that Russia ought to have “no place” at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Russia’s path to sending a crew to the Paris Olympics subsequent yr grew to become clearer on Thursday amid fierce objections from Ukraine.

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The International Olympic Committee indicated on Wednesday it favors formally impartial groups from Russia and its ally Belarus at the 2024 Olympics regardless of a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exclude them completely.

A day later, Russia and Belarus had been invited to compete at the Asian Games, a key Olympic qualifier.

Russia sometimes competes as a part of Europe however has a tense relationship with a lot of the international locations set to host qualifying occasions there. Russia and Belarus have been barred from nearly all worldwide competitions in Olympic sports activities following the invasion of Ukraine.

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Zelenskyy has stated he advised French President Emmanuel Macron, whose nation is internet hosting the Olympics, that Russia ought to have “no place” there. Ukraine is searching for to rally help in opposition to the IOC-brokered plan.

“IOC has been disregarding Russian war crimes, claiming that ‘No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport’, while Ukrainian athletes continue to be killed by Russia because of their passports. I urge all sports figures to make their stance known,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

Ukraine boycotted an Olympic qualifier in judo final yr when Russians had been allowed to compete as neutrals.

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In Russia, there was reward from the IOC plan from Igor Levitin, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who holds influential authorities and sports activities posts.

“I believe it’s already a hit. Olympic society understands that the Olympic Games can not be staged with out Russia,” stated Levitin, who’s the senior vice-president of the Russian Olympic Committee, in feedback reported by state news company Tass.

Some Russian officers expressed unhappiness at the IOC declaring it will not permit athletes discovered to be “actively supporting the war in Ukraine.” Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov stated on Wednesday he opposed “any restrictions, extra requirements or sanctions.”

The IOC assertion on Wednesday referenced the civil struggle in the former Yugoslavia at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The nation was below United Nations sanctions so Yugoslav athletes had been allowed to compete individually solely as “Independent Olympic Participants.” They did not participate in crew sports activities comparable to soccer and basketball.

That would be stricter than earlier IOC measures in opposition to Russia in the years-long fallout from one in every of the largest doping instances in sports activities historical past. Russians competed below the identify “Olympic Athlete from Russia” at the 2018 Winter Olympics and as ROC — quick for Russian Olympic Committee — in 2021 and 2022, with out their nation’s anthem or flag however with nationwide colours on uniforms.

The Asian Games will be in Hangzhou, China, in September and October, and performance as Olympic qualifiers in a number of sports activities together with archery and boxing. Some different sports activities host their very own Asia-specific qualifying competitions.

“The OCA believes in the unifying power of sport and that all athletes, regardless of their nationality or the passport they hold, should be able to compete in sports competitions,” the OCA stated in a press release.

The long-time director normal of Kuwait-based OCA, Husain al-Musallam, can be the president of World Aquatics, which is overseeing the core Olympic sport of swimming in the IOC dwelling metropolis Lausanne.

“The OCA has offered to give eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes the opportunity to take part in competitions in Asia, including the Asian Games,” the group stated.

The OCA added it “remains on standby” till the IOC and the particular person sports activities’ governing our bodies finalize the circumstances for Russia and Belarus to compete.



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