The number one of the IOC across the board: “Paris 2024 will send a signal of hope and union in such a difficult moment”
Great expectations, in dark times. This is what emerges from the words of Thomas Bach 142 days before the start of Paris 2024. The opportunity to rediscover the Olympic spirit put to the test by wars and threats of various kinds: “When I speak with heads of state, friends and ordinary people – explains the head of the International Olympic Committee to the Gazzetta -, everyone aspires to rediscover a spirit of unity, to go beyond hatred and divisions. People are looking for something different and positive, a sign of hope, something we can share. This is why the Olympic spirit becomes even more important today than in times of peace and prosperity.”
opportunity
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In the meantime, the issue of Russian and Belarusian athletes forced to compete in neutral clothing is still on the table, as also confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which, recalls Bach, underlined how the IOC’s decision “was calibrated accurately and correctly to ensure that every single athlete is politically neutral.” Which also applies to Ukrainian athletes who could express protests against their Russian colleagues: “But I am confident – explains Bach – that there will be no problems, because participating in the qualifiers and the Games is an opportunity for the athletes and the Ukrainian Olympic Committee to raise awareness around the world about their situation and their resilience, presenting themselves as a strong and successful team.” In any case, Russian and Belarusian athletes will not suffer any limitations inside the Olympic village “where the same rules apply for everyone”. The same for the Israelis, who however will benefit from special protection, as has always happened since the terrorist attack on the 1972 Munich Games. We will have to wait to find out whether Palestinian athletes will be able to benefit from invitations from the IOC, to overcome the impediments caused from the conflict: “We will see how many qualify and then decide accordingly.”
rights
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However, the exclusion of Israel in relation to the Gaza conflict is not on the agenda, as the Russians hoped: “The Tas explained it clearly – Bach insists – differentiating other conflicts from Russia’s so-called “special operation” which forced the Russian Olympic Committee to extend its authority also over the occupied territories in Ukraine”. Another chapter is that of countries where human rights are not respected, in particular for women. As in Afghanistan: “We monitor the situation closely – explains Bach – knowing that many former Afghan champions ask us to exclude their country and others to keep them in the competitions as a last chance to raise awareness among world public opinion, given that an exclusion could even play into the hands of the Taliban who are not very sensitive to international reputation “.
ceremony
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Complex situations that bring the importance of the Games back to the foreground, even from a sporting point of view: “This is demonstrated by the fact that many great champions prefer to give up their respective World Cups to prepare for the Olympics, or that people like Mbappé or Messi, or great NBA players and tennis players consider the Olympics to be unique.” And it matters little that the French Interior Minister has decided to drastically reduce the number of spectators at the opening ceremony, the first outside a stadium, from the initial 1.326 million spectators, along the Seine: “The symbol is not in the number, but in the atmosphere.”
milan-cortina
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After Paris, it will already be time to look to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The IOC is following the situation closely, in particular that of the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge competitions, with a possible plan B in Innsbruck, as mentioned recently: ” It is up to the organizing committee to make a proposal, and it is up to the IOC to evaluate its compatibility. Overall, however, we have seen progress in the organization and good coordination with the government and the competent institutions. I count on Italy’s great experience in organizing major winter sporting events. In the end I think we will enjoy the best of Italian culture, and as far as I’m concerned in particular, I hope also from the point of view of your cuisine. Organizational challenges exist, but nothing unusual.”
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