Olympic games
Kremlin complains about exclusion of its own athletes from the Olympic parade
Russian athletes are not allowed to take part in the athletes’ parade at the opening of the Olympic Games. photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
Russian athletes are not allowed to take part in the athletes’ parade at the opening of the Olympic Games because of Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The Kremlin is now portraying itself as a victim.
The Kremlin has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from the athletes’ parade at the opening ceremony Olympic Games in Paris sharply criticized.
“Undoubtedly this means the destruction of the Olympic idea, it is a restriction of the interests of athletes,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. This contradicts the spirit of the Olympic movement and damages the reputation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said the 56-year-old.
The leadership of the IOC decided on the exclusion on Tuesday after discussions in Lausanne. The reason is the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Athletes from Belarus, which is a close ally of Russia and from whose territory Russian troops also invaded Ukraine two years ago, are also not allowed to take part in the parade. The IOC announced that athletes from both countries should be given the chance to witness the ceremony as spectators. A decision about whether to take part in the closing ceremony will be made later.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus are only allowed to take part in the Olympics in Paris under certain conditions. So they have to start under a neutral flag. If there is a win, the national anthem will not be played. Both countries are excluded from team competitions. Athletes who have openly expressed support for the war or are serving in the military are also not eligible.