IOC statement this week will be no comfort to the Ukrainian athletes, instead forcing them to consider a boycott, writes Ian O'Riordan (via irishtimessport)
According to the IOC “the vast majority of participants” in consultation calls want a pathway for Russia and Belarus to return to the international stage, beginning with the Paris qualification events, all the while competing as “neutral athletes”. We all know what that doesn’t mean.
The IOC insist they will continue their commitment to solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes, only now they want them to compete alongside their worst enemies, without hope of any truce or ceasefire in sight. They can’t have it both ways, which likely means it’s either the Russians or the Ukrainians, and who supports them, who will be in Paris.
The Australian Open said the same in allowing players from Russia and Belarus on their courts, and look what happened there: around the same time as the IOC statement, pictures emerged of police intervening with a crowd of supporters at Melbourne Park after Russian Andrey Rublev’s quarter-final defeat against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.
They also insist all “neutral” Russian athletes must be entirely in line with all relevant anti-doping rules, which they said before Rio too: that didn’t stop Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova, who wasn’t supposed to be let anywhere near the Olympic pool, given she was serving a doping ban, only to have it appealed at the last minute.
As if to say they’re not in the business of denying entire nations of athletes on purely political grounds, when on numerous occasions in the past they’ve done exactly that – namely South Africa, banned after the 1960 Olympics due to its Apartheid regime, only allowed back in for Barcelona in 1992, other countries banned temporarily, too, after their World War defeats, Afghanistan also banned as recently as 2000 given their Taliban regime.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
IOC gives green light for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in ParisRussian and Belarusian athletes will have to compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympics.
Read more »
Poland pledges 60 more tanks to Ukraine as Zelenskiy seeks hundreds to beat RussiaUN refugee agency denounces Russia for putting Ukrainian children up for adoption
Read more »
Djokovic father filmed with fans holding Russian flags at Australian OpenThe Serbian star had just booked his place in the tournament semi-final with a straight-sets thumping of Russia’s Andrey Rublev.
Read more »
Djokovic's father to skip Melbourne semi-final after Russian-flag controversy‘I had no intention of being caught up in this,’ said Srdjan Djokovic, who was pictured posing with a fan holding a pro-Putin flag.
Read more »
Allianz appoints Russian unit boss to lead Irish businessCurrent CEO is retiring
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy calls for further sanctions and more weaponsLatest Russian missile and drone attacks kill 11 across Ukraine
Read more »