Newly-appointed Chairman of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Gene Sykes declared support for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) initiative to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as “neutral athletes” in the upcoming Paris Olympics Games 2024.
The Letter
In a letter to American athletes and stakeholders last Thursday, Sykes said “After listening to many athletes and constituents from around the United States, we recognize a real desire to compete against all the world’s best athletes — but only if that can happen in a way that ensures safe and fair play,” acknowledging that it was an “incredibly complex situation.”
“We encouraged the IOC to continue exploring a process that would preserve the existing sanctions, ensuring only neutral athletes who are clean are welcome to compete,” he stated, stressing that the process “will require careful management.”
Sykes also expressed the USOPC’s support for Ukraine and its athletes, raising “very real concern, even skepticism, about whether [conditions] can be met” to let Russians participate.
IOC’s Decision
Last month, the IOC announced its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate as “neutral athletes,” without representing “their state or any other organisation in their country.”
This comes despite President Volodymyr Zelensky's call to bar them. The IOC said that it will prolong its sanctions against Russia and Belarus, which include a ban on national symbols...
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) January 26, 2023
Additionally, the IOC noted that the sportspeople can be removed or suspended from further competitions for failing to comply with the “strict conditions.”
UN Support
UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Alexandra Xanthaki and UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Ashwini KP lauded the IOC’s decision.
They noted that the IOC’s stance reflected the reversal of its previous recommendation — banning the athletes right after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 — which had “raised serious issues of direct discrimination.”
Эксперты ООН приветствовали готовность МОК рассмотреть возможность участия российских спортсменов в соревнованиях в нейтральном статусеhttps://t.co/rdMlJGnj46
— UNIC Moscow (@UNIC_Moscow) February 2, 2023
Фото ООН/Э.Шнайдер#UN #ООН #Russia #Olympics #IOC #sport #Россия #МОК #ОлимпийскийКомитет #спорт pic.twitter.com/qa3gRMRo0Z
They also called on the world sports body to “take more steps to align its recommendations with international human rights standards on non-discrimination,” saying, “The same rules must apply to all athletes, whatever their nationality.”
Latvia, Ukraine to Boycott Olympics if Russians Allowed
Following the IOC’s decision, Latvia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) called the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes “unacceptable,” threatening to boycott the Games.
We are together! The Sports Subcommittee of the Education, Culture and Science Committee of the Saeima of Latvia has condemned the statement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the possible admission of athletes from 🇷🇺 and 🇧🇾to international competitions pic.twitter.com/9tc7ZFKVms
— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Ukrainian Parliament (@ua_parliament) February 2, 2023
The NOC also claimed that the move would serve as an “encouragement for further escalation of warfare, and normalisation of war crimes and brutal violence.”
Similarly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his disappointment at the IOC’s announcement last week, saying, “There is no such thing as neutrality when a war like this is going on.” “It is obvious that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.”
In Beijing 2022, every third Russian athlete was a soldier in the Russian army, a member of its Central Sports Club. Right after the games, Russia launched the largest war in Europe since 1945, despite the ongoing Olympic truce. They should not be in Paris in any status.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 1, 2023
Reactions
South Korea’s Olympic Committee on Wednesday demanded clarification from the Olympic Council of Asia for allowing Russian athletes to participate, which could threaten South Koreans’ spot in the Games.
A day earlier, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker remarked that the situation “will look very different if the war is still going on in 18 months.”
If the IOC cares about peace, it must formalize policies regarding the participation of nations that are waging wars of aggression. Then consistently apply the policies. It shouldn't matter if it's Russia, USA, UK, China, anyone. Make it crystal clear that such acts mean a ban.
— MacIntosh Ross (@punchingprof) February 1, 2023
Likewise, the UK’s Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Michelle Donelan called the IOC’s position “a world away from the reality of war being felt by the Ukrainian people.”
Meanwhile, Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov noted that the IOC did not require the Russian athletes to condemn the “special military operation” in Ukraine.
We will see whether Dr. Thomas #Bach and his cronies at the #IOC will be able to raise their complicity with authoritarian dictators to such a new level! The opposition against their #shamelessness will be organized on a broad basis. https://t.co/SKhFhS55qO
— Reinhard Bütikofer (@bueti) February 1, 2023
The Paris Games and the Paralympics will be held from 26 July to 11 August and 28 August to 8 September, respectively, next year.