Topline
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, defended a decision Tuesday to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympics, amid a protest by both active and former international athletes who say the decision could set a dangerous precedent.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach defended a decision to allow Russian and … [+]
Key Facts
The participation of athletes from both Russia and Belarus at the 2024 Paris Olympics “works” despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Bach said during a press conference Tuesday, adding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes is allowed “almost every day in a number of sports.”
Some sports organizations have implemented bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes, including Wimbledon, though the other three tennis grand slams allow participation—including the U.S. Open, which said it would not hold individual athletes “accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments.”
The committee—which had initially urged sports bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes after Russia’s invasion—decided in January that Russian and Belarusian athletes could participate in the Olympics as independent Olympians under a neutral flag.
A letter sent to the IOC and the International Fencing Federation by more than 300 former and active international fencers called for the ban to be upheld, suggesting the decision to allow participation would be “a catastrophic error.”
The letter, addressed to Bach, also says the decision would create a precedent “in which a nation can violate the values and rules of sport and international peace without fear of consequences.”
Despite Bach’s statements, the IOC reiterated its “condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine” in a press release, noting the invasion “is a blatant violation of the Olympic Truce.”
Crucial Quote
Bach defended the committee’s decision and said that some countries, including the U.S. and others in Europe, “are issuing visas” allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in tournaments in those countries “with very few exceptions,” including some “working permits where it’s necessary for these players and athletes.” Bach said examples are “prominent” in tennis, “but we also see it in cycling,” table tennis, ice hockey and handball.
Surprising Fact
Representatives from 34 nations—including the U.S., the UK and host country France—said in a joint statement last month that they “do not agree” Russian or Belarusian athletes should participate in the Olympics. The letter includes signatures from some countries who said they would boycott the event if the athletes are allowed to compete, including Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Denmark.
Key Background
A decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics follows a denouncement by the IOC of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started during the Beijing Olympics and Paralympic games last year. The committee said the invasion was a violation of the Olympic Truce, a UN-supported resolution that prohibits all warfare during and a week after competition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first to call for a ban on Russian athletes, adding they “should have no place” at the event. The Russian Olympic Committee has faced several sanctions in recent years, including an investigation that found evidence of a state-sponsored doping program at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Russian athletes were then banned from competing under a Russian flag and have competed under the moniker ROC and an Olympic flag at all international competitions since 2016.
Further Reading
Russian Athletes Can Compete In 2024 Olympics—But Not Under Russian Flag (Forbes)
U.S. And 34 Other Nations ‘Do Not Agree’ Russian Athletes Should Be In 2024 Olympics—Boycott Brewing (Forbes)
IOC: Russian And Belarusian Athletes Should Be Banned From All International Sports After Ukraine Invasion (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/03/28/ioc-defends-decision-to-allow-russian-athletes-at-2024-olympics-fencers-protest-catastrophic-error/