Russia complains about “discrimination”

The National Olympic Committee of Russia ROC has described the conditions imposed by the IOC on Russian and Belarusian athletes for returning to world sport as “discrimination based on nationality”.

“The announced criteria for returning to international competitions are unacceptable,” ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov said at a live televised news conference on Tuesday.

At an executive session under President Thomas Bach, the IOC recommended that the world federations allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports competitions again on condition of neutrality.

Teams remain excluded, as do members of the military. A decision for participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is pending.

Bach had defended the decision against all criticism from Ukraine and large parts of the western world. He referred to the interpretation of the UN and Olympic charters by two special rapporteurs from the United Nations, who spoke out against discrimination against athletes based on their origin.

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