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IOC Criticizes Government Interference in Russian Athletes’ Participation in Competitions

In the spring, the International Olympic Committee recommended that Russians be allowed to participate in competitions subject to a number of conditions.

Source: AP 2023

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is critical of attempts by individual governments to interfere in the decision-making process on the issue of admitting Russian athletes to competitions. James MacLeod, Director of the Department of Relations with National Olympic Committees of the organization, stated this during the IOC session in Mumbai (India).

“In general, the sporting community has shown strong support for the return of individual neutral athletes to international competition, which was confirmed during the International Olympic Forum in Lausanne,” MacLeod said.

“In some cases, attempts by states to influence the autonomy of sports continue; some governments insist on the complete exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions or even refuse to issue visas. The IOC strongly rejects such interference by governments and continues to monitor the situation closely,” he said.

At the end of March 2023, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to participate in international competitions only as neutral athletes, and only those who have not publicly expressed support for the special operation in Ukraine and are not associated with the armed forces or national security agencies. Also, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be represented in team sports.

2023-10-15 07:38:16

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