Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo also said there should be no Russian delegation at the Olympics if the war continues.
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Olympic sports officials are weighing their decisions while in Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, plus past and current Olympic medalists, continue to insist Russia must be excluded from Paris. They included the daughter of Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov, who then criticized the neutral eligibility process as a “farce” and a “thinly veiled suspension.” Pozdnyakov also warned of a Russian boycott of events. The complicated situation in fencing - Bach’s own sport where the long-time governing body president, Kremlin-connected billionaire Alisher Usmanov, stepped aside while under international sanctions – saw several Olympic champions from Russia denied neutral status this month. The IJF’s honorary president until last year was Vladimir Putin, who is an expert judoka. The International Judo Federation let some Russians compete in Qatar at its worlds this month, an event which was boycotted by Ukraine. Track and field took the strongest stance with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe citing deaths of hundreds of athletes in Ukraine that “hardened my resolve” to exclude all Russians. World championships that are a key qualifier for Paris start Sept. In gymnastics, a top-tier Summer Games sport where Russians excel, a decision on reintegrating them was pushed back to at least July. If approved to compete, the IOC said Russian and Belarusians would not be allowed to use their flag, anthem or uniforms in national colors.ĪSOIF officials previously cautioned “each sport has different realities,” including where Olympic qualification events are being hosted and the influence of Ukraine’s allies in sports and governments, especially in Europe. He did not speak with reporters when leaving after his speech.īach and the IOC led calls within days of the invasion of Ukraine in February of last year to banish Russia from international sport, including to protect the security of athletes.Īs the war continued and the 2024 Olympics approached, the IOC and Bach started to suggest it was discrimination to exclude all Russians and Belarusians.
“You are doing so against the backdrop of the many traditional, I may say, naysayers who want to make people believe that it would never work,” Bach said. IOC president Thomas Bach told leaders of governing bodies on the 32-sport Paris program, who have ultimate control over their own events, some had proven how Russian and Belarusians could continue to compete.
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