Now is not the right time to evaluate the possibility of the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus, the Olympic and Paralympic committees of the Nordic countries, joined by the sports confederations, said.
“We, the Nordic Olympic, Paralympic Committees and Sports Confederations, take this opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine and call for peace,” the statement said.
In January, the IOC expressed its determination to explore ways that would open the possibility for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games in a neutral status, indicating to the Olympic Committee that discrimination based only on a potential participant’s passport would not be allowed. The IOC also referred to the opinion of two UN human rights experts, who describe the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympic Games on grounds of nationality as discrimination.
Although after Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ support to the occupation forces, the IOC called on sports organizations to ban the two aggressor countries from participating in international competitions, less than a year later the leaders of the Olympic movement were already looking for a way out. The IOC welcomed the opportunity for Russian and Belarusian athletes to find a place in the Olympic qualification selection competition in Asia in a neutral status.
The position of the IOC caused criticism from Western politicians, as well as objections from some national Olympic committees. The plans of the IOC were particularly strongly protested by Ukraine, which was clearly supported by the Baltic States and Polish sports supervisory bodies last week.
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