© Copyright – 2023 – Athletics Illusrated

Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is working to reinstate Russia and Belarus into the Olympic Games. He is working the IOC to lift the ban, however, one of the primary provisos is that athletes and anyone in the delegation who openly support the war in Ukraine will not be permitted.

Last week, World Athletics lifted their 2015 and subsequent doping bans on the two disgraced countries, however, continued with a ban for the foreseeable future due to the way in Ukraine.

Many athletes and several National Sporting Organizations (NSOs) voiced their support for continueing the ban for doping.

The Russian Athletics Federation will have 35 conditions to follow for a term of three years or may have the ban (for doping) reinstated.

Bach was clear that any athlete who openly shows solidarity toward Russia and its war on Ukraine should not be permitted to compete.

“The IOC Executive Board today issues, to the International Federations and international sports event organisers, the following recommendations: athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport must complete only as individual, neutral athletes,” Bach said. 

“Two – teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport cannot be considered.

“Three – athletes who actively support the war cannot compete.

“Four – support personnel who actively support the war cannot be entered.”

Apparently, there is no timeline for the reinstatement.

Russian Olympic Committee President bristles

In the art of negotiation, power goes to the diplomatic.

Meaningful diplomacy is based on core skills which include good communication, willingness to compormise and conflict resolution, justice-based decision-making and knowledge of group processes. Emotion is to be kept at bay, and stay on task.

However, Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov came out attacking. It’s was a weak retalitory move; poorly thought and emotionally driven.

He said, “the position announced today on the non-admission to international competitions of Russian athletes who are registered in the military and law enforcement agencies or have contractual relations with them is no longer just another chapter in the list of gross discriminatory sanctions, which was recently stated directly by Alexandra Xanthaki, UN (United Nations) Special Rapporteur in the field of rights.” .

“We believe that this criterion lays the foundation for an internal conflict in Russian sports.

“It has the direct goal of splitting the communities of Russian athletes, dividing them into acceptable and the rest.

“The decision is a farce, the basic principles of the Olympic Charter are violated.

“The ROC will continue contacts with colleagues from Lausanne.

“The announced parameters are absolutely unacceptable.”

Pozdnyakov just publicly failed Art of Negotiation 101.

Various NSOs protest

All Ukrainian Olympic sports federations signed a document Thursday, March 9 addressing the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The request is for the IOC to uphold its ban of Russia and Belarus from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

In February 2022, European Athletics President, Dobromir Karamarinov, sent a letter of support (see here) to Ukrainian Athletic Federation Acting President, Yevhen Pronin, in support.

Formula One said it would drop its Russian Grand Prix. The event was scheduled to take place in September in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The 2022 event was indeed cancelled in the wake of the Russian invasion. The contract for all future races was terminated.

Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic refused to play World Cup qualifiers in Russia. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said national teams competing in UEFA competitions would be played at neutral venues.

Denouncing the incursion

President Sebastian Coe and World Athletics released a statement in February 2022 denouncing the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

“World Athletics is appalled by developments in Ukraine and condemns the Russian military invasion,” World Athletics wrote in a statement.

Coe offered World Athletics senior vice-president Sergey Bubka, who is Ukrainian, and the Ukrainian Athletics Federation “whatever practical support we can give.”

The Russian Athletics Federation has been suspended since 2015 for systematic doping, corruption, data manipulation, and various other charges.

According to the publication, Inside the Games, the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and Minister of Youth and Sports in Ukraine Vadym Guttsait wrote, “I call on you once again to support Ukraine’s position on the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions, including the Olympic Games Paris 2024, in any status, as soon as this military aggression continues.”

Russian athletes competed during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. There was a delegation of nearly 350 who attended the event. However, the Russian flag and national anthem were never seen or heard. Russian athletes won dozens of medals.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo

It was reported here earlier this week that the Paris mayor is against having a Russian delegation in her city during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, while Russia wages its illegal war in Ukraine.

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, France said that she does not want a Russian delegation at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games while the country wages war in Ukraine.

“As long as Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine, I don’t want there to be a Russian delegation at the Paris 2024 Games.

“I would find that indecent.

“It is not possible to parade as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation come to Paris, while the bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine,” she said.

German Canoeing Association

As reported by the publication, Inside the Games, the German Canoe Association (DKV) has called upon the International Olympic Committee (IOC) “to clarify fundamental questions in sport” as it vowed to continue its exclusion of Russian and Belarusian canoeists from international events in Germany.

“We are aware that a reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into the world of sports, as suggested by the IOC, would be extremely difficult,” DKV President Jens Perlwitz said.

“In our opinion, the current trend emanating from the IOC is not in line with the Olympic movement.

“You have to think hard about whether a state that is waging aggressive war is allowed to be part of the Olympic family, whether that state is allowed to host the Olympic Games and whether athletes from that state are allowed to participate in the Games.”

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