Vitaly Smirnov, Russian member of the IOC, in 2016
Build: AP
The conflict has reached sport: according to reports, Ukrainian athletes should not pose with Russian athletes in Beijing, otherwise they could face a penalty. Russia sees a violation of the Olympic Charter.
Dhe enormous political tensions between Russia and Ukraine apparently had a concrete impact on the athletes just before the start of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Vitaly Smirnov, a Russian member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), accused Ukraine’s Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait of “blackmail” and “coercion” because he threatened Ukrainian athletes with punishment if they posed with Russian athletes during the Olympics, according to the Russian news agency TASS should.
Accordingly, Huttsait asked the athletes to stay away from Russian opponents and the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) at the games. Ukraine fears an invasion in view of the deployment of Russian military units in front of its border. Russia denies this intention. Smirnov sees the ban as a violation of the Olympic Charter.
Point 6 of the preamble states that “any discrimination (. . .) against a person on the basis of race, religion, politics, sex or any other reason is incompatible with membership in the Olympic Movement”. According to Tass, the IOC said the National Olympic Committees have the right to make their own rules as long as they do not violate the charter.
