The Kremlin on Wednesday condemned the sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes adopted by the Executive Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which include not participating in the opening ceremony of the Paris Games.
“Without a doubt, we see them negatively. They represent the destruction of the idea of Olympism, the violation of the interests of the Olympians. Of course, this is completely contrary to the entire ideology of the Olympic movement, it does not speak well of the IOC ” said Dmitri Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, at his daily telephone press conference.
He also criticized the IOC’s decision to call on governments and sports organizations not to participate in what Moscow called “political” competitions such as the World Friendship Games, an alternative to the Olympic Games.
“Intimidation of athletes completely undermines the authority of the IOC,” Peskov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered that Russia hold the World Friendship Games in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, capital of the Urals, from September 15 to 29.
The purpose of the games is to guarantee “free participation of Russian athletes” in competitions and the development of “new formats of cooperation in international sports,” the order stated.
About 5,500 athletes will participate in the World Friendship Games, receiving a total of 4.6 billion rubles (about $50 million) in prizes.
Of course, Peskov welcomed the IOC’s decision not to ask Russian athletes to sign any document condemning the so-called special military operation in Ukraine.
The director of Olympic Solidarity and liaison with the IOC’s national committees, James MacLeod, assured on Tuesday that the medals won by Russian and Belarusian athletes “will not be shown on any table.”
The measures are part of sanctions declared by the Olympic Movement against Russia and Belarus following Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in February 2022.
In principle, a maximum of 55 and 28 Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete in Paris, although the most likely numbers are around 36 Russians and 22 Belarusians.
In addition, the Executive has appointed a Neutral Individual Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP), which will review each Russian or Belarusian qualifier to decide whether to confirm their entry.
These athletes cannot support the war in Ukraine or belong to army clubs or teams like CSKA Moscow, among other conditions.
The Panel will be composed of the Aruban Nicole Hoevertsz, vice president of the IOC, as president, the Spanish Pau Gasol, representative of the IOC Ethics Commission, and the South Korean Seung Min Ryu, representative of the IOC Athletes Commission.
Recently, the Russian Olympic Committee rejected boycotting the Games as an option, although it assured that it would not accept discrimination against its athletes.
Source: La Verdad
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