26 January 2023 , 07:33
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Olympic Games bosses have been accused of endorsing Russia's war in Ukraine after a proposal was launched to clear the way for athletes to qualify for Paris 2024.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had a board meeting this week when it decided to "explore a pathway" for athletes from both countries to compete at next year's Games. The IOC also announced a proposal for athletes from Russia and Belarus to enter Olympic qualification events in Asia rather than Europe. This is under the proviso that athletes compete under a neutral flag and have not actively supported the war.
The IOC statement said that "no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport".
This news came after Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky urged for Russian athletes to be banned from next year's Games stating that they have "no place" in Paris while the war in his country continues. A joint statement from the Ukrainian Athletes and Global Athlete has condemned the move by the IOC.
The statement says: "'Today's decision sends a message to the world that the IOC endorses Russia's brutal war and invasion of Ukraine. By allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, the IOC is strengthening Russia’s propaganda machine, empowering the Putin regime, and undermining peace.
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"We’ve seen the IOC include Russia as ‘neutral athletes’ before, only to be rebranded as Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR)."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian athletes have "no place" in Paris (Markku Ulander/REX/Shutterstock)The group also slammed the statement from the IOC that athletes shouldn't be prevented from competing because of their passport. Ukrainian Athletes and Global Athlete added: "This position ignores the reality of international sport as a tool of geopolitics – the Russian Olympic Team is part of the Russian state and Russian athletes are not politically free. Every Russian athlete competing in Paris has the potential to incite further lives lost in Ukraine.
The statement concludes by urging the IOC to reinstate the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes until both countries withdraw their armed forces from Ukraine.
Aryna Sabalenka is one of two Belarusian athletes in the Australian Open women's semi-finals (Ng Han Guan/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Tennis authorities took a similar line to the IOC last year when Russian and Belarusian tennis stars were allowed to compete at tournaments under a neutral flag. However, Wimbledon organisers went against that advise banning players from both countries from competing at SW19.
The organisers were subsequently fined and the tournament was stripped of its ranking points by the ATP and WTA. World number five Aryna Sabalenka said that the move from the Wimbledon organisers "changed nothing”.
Athletes from both countries were allowed to compete in this month's Australian Open with Sabalenka and fellow Belarus player Victoria Azarenka both in opposite semi-finals. If both players win tomorrow it would set-up an all-Belarus final. Russian player Karen Khachanov is also in the last four of the men's draw.