International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Thursday condemned the negative reaction of many European countries to the partial return of Russians and Belarusians to world sport, calling the political interference "regrettable."
Source. RFI
"It is sad to see that these governments do not want to respect either the majority in the Olympic movement or the autonomy of sport," he told reporters following a three-day meeting of the organization's executive committee.
On Tuesday, when the IOC recommended the partial and conditional return of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions, Bach reiterated "a strong rejection of any political interference in the ability of sports organizations to make their own decisions about participation in their competitions."
On Thursday, the IOC chief spoke out more forcefully, responding to angry statements from several governments – from the German sports minister, who condemned the "slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes" to the head of Polish diplomacy, who called it "a day of shame for the IOC."
"It's a shame that these governments don't deal with the issue of double standards," Bach said, explaining that out of "about 70 armed conflicts in the world," only the war in Ukraine is causing political pressure on the sports world.
All participants in the Olympic movement – national Olympic committees, international federations, athletes' representatives – are "very concerned about the politicization of sport," Thomas Bach added.
The IOC chief also reiterated that the organization will make a decision "when the time comes" on the possible participation of Russians and Belarusians in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, limiting it to certain sports and under a neutral flag.
Background. As a reminder, on Tuesday, the IOC recommended that those Russian and Belarusian athletes who do not support the war be allowed to compete.