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Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov told TASS Russian News Agency that World Athletics President Sebastian Coe is Russophobic. Pozdnyakov added that Coe, who was re-elected for his third and final term Thursday, has been after Russia since 2015.
“I believe that Mr. Coe has been pursuing a consistent Russophobic policy since the time he was first elected President of World Athletics.”
#WorldAthletics president #SebastianCoe said Thursday it was "unlikely" that track and field athletes from Russia and Belarus would be welcomed back to competition before next year's Paris Olympicshttps://t.co/EwpqtIolMh
— NDTV Sports (@Sports_NDTV) August 17, 2023
Last June Pozdnyakov said, “The sweeping bans imposed on Russian athletes are the result of “unprecedented external pressure and Russophobic hysteria” but sporting organizations will reverse course and understand their mistakes.”
Russia was banned by Coe once he was first elected in 2015. Coe did campaign that he did not think that Russia should be banned. However, after much investigation by ARDTV of Germany, The Guardian of Great Britain and other media had exposed Russia, Coe changed his mind. Podnyakov seems to have a short memory about the systematic doping that Russia executed thoroughly winning medals, glory and money — essentially stealing from others.
The suspension was lifted in March, but Coe immediately announced that they are “still excluded for the foreseeable future due to the invasion of Ukraine.”
This means that Russia will miss the 2023 World Athletics Championships when the meet start here in Budapest this weekend.
“Nothing changes in his behaviour, only motives, factors with which he tries to cover up the Russophobia that he demonstrates.”
