IOC demands exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus
The German IOC President Thomas Bach
What: Getty Images/Maja Hitij
Now the International Olympic Committee is reacting to Putin’s war in Ukraine. Athletes from Russia should no longer be allowed to take part in international competitions. This also applies to Belarus. Putin is stripped of a medal.
RAccording to the will of the IOC, US and Belarusian athletes and officials should no longer be allowed to take part in international competitions. The head of the International Olympic Committee made this recommendation to all world associations and organizers of sporting events on Monday.
The background are the sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war against Russia and its ally Belarus. In addition, the IOC recognized Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and other top Russian politicians from the Olympic medals in gold that had been awarded to them in the past.
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The executive of the IOC made its decisions “with a heavy heart”, it said in a statement. Although the Olympic movement wants to be above all political conflicts, the war in Ukraine now puts them in a dilemma. Many Ukrainian athletes are unable to compete in sports because of the attack on their country, while Russians and Belarusians are still able to do so. Therefore, the decision was made to request the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus in order to protect the integrity and security of the competitions.
DOSB joins demands
Where this is not possible at short notice or for legal reasons, these athletes should not be allowed to participate with their flag or anthem, but as neutral athletes or teams. Shortly before, the German Olympic Sports Confederation had also spoken out in favor of such a step.
“Global sanctions in all areas of society are all the more effective the more social actors participate,” said a statement by the DOSB. The goal of ending the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible justifies this step, even though it also affects athletes who are not responsible for this war: “Sport also has to fulfill its responsibilities here and accept the corresponding restrictions.”
The governing body also intends to set up a fund to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian athletes in the wake of Russia’s attack on the neighboring country.
The next major international event are the Paralympics in Beijing, which begin on Friday. Putin’s attack on Ukraine coincided with the Olympic peace treaty, which was also approved by Russia and was to last until March 20.
