The IOC chooses a compromise path for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes – and almost everyone is dissatisfied. The next few weeks will be tricky.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is currently facing criticism from all sides. Many athletes and politicians denounce that the IOC wants to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions again. The umbrella organization gave this recommendation to its member associations on Tuesday (March 28th, 2023) – just in time for the start of the first qualifying competitions for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
13 months ago, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IOC recommended an expulsion. Not much has changed politically since then, the Russian war of aggression with the support of Belarus continues unabated. Against this background, many politicians see no reason to open up. Polish Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk spoke of one “Day of Shame for the IOC”.
IOC names restrictions on return
According to its President Thomas Weikert, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) would also have advocated a continuation of the ban. In the ARD interview, Weikert also emphasized the restrictions that were set. “The requirements that the IOC has named are very strict, and that’s a good thing. Now you have to look at how that’s implemented.”
The IOC decided that teams from Russia and Belarus should remain banned – this applies above all to the Olympic team sports of football, handball, basketball, hockey, volleyball, rugby and water polo. In addition, individual athletes should only be allowed to start if they are not under contract with the Russian or Belarusian military or national security authorities. According to “Spiegel”, around three quarters of the athletes are still excluded.
In addition, anthems and national symbols are to remain banned and athletes are not allowed to actively support the war – although it remains unclear which criteria apply to this.
Russian NOK: “Criteria absolutely unreasonable”
As a result, sharp criticism of the IOC decision can also be heard from Russia. “The announced parameters and criteria (…) are absolutely unreasonable”, announced Russia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC). Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin described the decision as “inhuman” and “openly discriminatory”.
How will Russia and Belarus react now? It is conceivable that both nations will change their sport funding system in such a way that the athletes will become more independent of the army, at least on paper. At the same time, they will probably maintain the threat of promoting their own structures outside the IOC.
Joint competitions with China and Co.?
In mid-March, Russian media reported that a delegation led by Sports Minister Matytsin in New Delhi had proposed holding a separate sports festival, a kind of summer games for members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In addition to Russia and India, this also includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran.
Such plans seem to impress IOC President Bach. At the Political Forum Ruhr in Essen he had a possible in the previous week “Decay of the international sports system” warned when the IOC excludes athletes for political reasons. Then there will be no more global, universal World Championships and Olympic Games.
No return to athletics, criticism of the fencing association
And how do the sports associations react? Many will probably follow the IOC recommendations. The track and field athletes (World Athletics), on the other hand, have announced that they will stick to their decision to continue to exclude individual athletes from Russia and Belarus until the end of the war of aggression. Similarly, the World Gymnastics Federation FIG expressed that they wanted the topic at a “discuss forthcoming FIG Executive Committee meeting”.
The World Fencing Federation (FIE), on the other hand, had already decided on March 10th to open it up, also for teams. Since then, the FIE has faced harsh criticism from the athletes, with more than 300 fencers writing in an open letter about a “catastrophic mistake”. The Ukrainian Fencing Federation wants to boycott events with participants from Russia and Belarus.
Intermediate solutions in football and tennis
The footballers have so far taken the special route of excluding teams from Russia, but not teams from Belarus. The European association UEFA is now considering banning Belarus as well. In tennis, the pros were never barred from WTA and ATP tournaments, only Wimbledon and team competitions. Recently there has been increased tension in the scene.
The IOC compromise is likely to further exacerbate the already major problems and chaos in the international sports world. Because at the end of the chain there are also the athletes, who now have to make the decision for themselves how to deal with the situation.