A giant hide-and-seek game at the top of world sport on the burning question of the moment: should Russians and Belarusians be reintegrated into international competitions, even if it means risking opening the door to the Paris 2024 Olympics? The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommends it timidly, and without deciding on the issue of participation in the Olympics, a decision that will be taken “at the appropriate time”.
While waiting for the mystery date, the body headed by Thomas Bach returns the hot potato to the international federations and organizers of competitions, who have the primary responsibility of inviting or not the athletes of the two countries. By following, of course, the famous recommendations, deciphered on Wednesday by the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. “Today, there is no solution for a viable neutrality regime when it comes to team sports. They only provided contingencies for individual athletes. They then recalled that there could be no participation of a Russian athlete even under a neutral banner who would have directly or indirectly supported the war led by Russia in Ukraine. […] Whatever happens, we are on a regime without an anthem, without the possibility of carrying a flag, this requirement is major. »
Fencing had anticipated
Will it be followed by fencing? On March 10, on the occasion of an extraordinary congress organized in view of the imminence of the qualifications for the 2024 Olympic Games (from April 3), the International Fencing Federation (FIE) had preceded the IOC, by pronouncing 65% in favor of the reintegration of Russians and Belarusians. By its own rules. Their return will thus be under a neutral banner, but also with the teams. According to the president of the French fencing federation, Bruno Gares, the FIE Comex will meet (also) on April 3 to decide on the follow-up to be given to Thomas Bach’s speech and to make any adjustments.
The goal will be to see if the Comex [dont M.Gares fait partie] will follow 100% the recommendations of the IOC, he told 20 minutes. He can very well decide to take part of the text and not the other. A working group is already looking into the matter. »
For the time being, the decision hardly satisfies the boss of the Russian federation, Ilgar Mamedov, happy with this “first step”. Forward for the Russians, backward for Ukraine, which was quick to point the finger at an “unfair” decision and announce the boycott of the competitions where the amnesties will be drawn. That is to say potentially all from mid-April. It is rumored that any federation considering banning the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions will be sanctioned and will see their event canceled, whether they like it or not. “The Ukrainians said goodbye to the Games, regrets the former foil fencer Erwann Le Péchoux, signatory of a petition against the reinstatement of Russian shooters, in the company of 300 athletes or former athletes. They were invaded, bombed, they are victims and moreover they will not go to the Games because of this decision. »
Events canceled in Germany and Denmark
The World Cup event in Poznan (Poland, from April 21 to 23) is in theory one of the first to have to deal with Russians and Belarusians. But the Polish federation has no intention of letting foil fencers from the two neighboring countries set foot on its soil. She says she is aware of running a risk without “being aware of any decision [de la FIE] which would deprive it of the organization of the tournament. In France, uncertainty reigns around the Challenge Monal (May 19-21), also counting for the World Cup.
The German and Danish federations have already chosen not to host the events scheduled on the world calendar. “We anticipate that there will be chaos during international competitions, warns the boss of the Danish federation, Jan Sylvest Jensen. Because the fencers will probably refuse to face Russians and Belarusians”. With a certain courage, all the same. Not everyone is ready to sit on precious points on the road to Paris 2024 in the name of ethics. Le Péchoux, now coach of the Japanese:
I would be for everyone to boycott, and for the authorities to realize that there is no one left. Except that I know full well that people and even countries won’t play the game. Apart from signing something or appearing on a video broadcast on Insta that will reach 2,000 people, we can’t do anything else. I am ashamed for my sport. I’m down and pissed off. »
The weight of Russia at the FIE
But certainly not surprised. Russia, the most successful nation at the Tokyo Olympics under the barbarous acronym ROC (8 medals), occupies a special place in fencing, and vice versa. We are not talking (only) about sport: the boss of the Russian Olympic Committee is a former swordsman, Stanislav Pozdyakov. Above all, the FIE was led by a Russian, Alisher Ousmanov, from 2008 to 2022. Committed to a 4th term, he only owes his withdrawal to the sanctions of the European Union because of his closeness to Vladimir Cheese fries. Otherwise, the oligarch had got into the habit of playing patronage within his federation, to the tune of sums which would be counted in millions of euros.
Has the historical weight of Russia within the FIE played a role in the turn of events? “Certainly, it plays, answers Bruno Gares. But there was a vote, and you can’t go against a democratic system. For me, the vote was correct and we lost [la FFE a voté contre la réintégration des Russes]. Simply, geopolitically, we can see that we are weak. The one-vote-per-nation system always favors the powerful, regardless of the sport.
The fate of Russian, Belarusian and by extension Ukrainian swordsmen is not entirely sealed. But the room for maneuver initially left by the IOC to the international federations maintains a vagueness that could cost everyone dearly. “The IOC is playing for time hoping that it will stop, theorizes the former French foil fencer. But let’s be realistic, even if the war ends, we could not see the Russians and the Ukrainians face each other at the Games. Ukrainians will not be able to, overnight, go to a competition with a Russian who supported his government and was potentially in the army. It’s not quickly forgotten, something like that. »
We recognize that the CIO finds itself in an uncomfortable position faced with an insoluble equation. As the doctor in geopolitics and specialist in Russia, Lukas Aubin, writes on Twitter, it is a question of either turning your back on Ukraine to please the Russians and their allies while attracting the wrath of the West. . Or to deprive Russia of the Olympics at the risk of disappointing its many Asian, African and South American allies – the same nations that tipped the vote at the FIE. In this sense, it seemed simpler for the IOC to rely “on the ”UN” principles of non-discrimination of athletes or individuals on the basis of their passports and their nationality” mentioned by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra for make a temporary decision. Even if it means taking a clear side for the reintegration of Russian athletes. It remains to be seen how long Thomas Bach’s hideout will last.