Sports politics
IOC suspends Russia after admitting Ukrainian territories
IOC President Thomas Bach at the executive meeting in Mumbai. photo
© Rafiq Maqbool/AP/dpa
The inclusion of four annexed territories in Ukraine has consequences for Russia’s Olympic committee. The IOC issues a ban. Russian athletes could still be allowed to compete in Paris.
The International Olympic Committee has suspended the National Olympic Committee of Russia (ROC) over its inclusion of four annexed Ukrainian territories. This decision was made by IOC Executive in Mumbai, India.
However, no decision has yet been made about the possible participation of Russian athletes at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The IOC said this should happen “at the appropriate time”.
“There is no decision as to when we will make a decision,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams following the deliberations at the top of the governing body. The decision as to whether Russians will be allowed to compete at least as neutral athletes at the next Summer Games will be made “at the right moment closer to the Games,” Adams added.
Breach of the IOC Charter
A week ago, the ROC accepted the regional sports organizations of the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk as members. This constitutes a breach of the IOC Charter and violates Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the Executive Committee decided.
The ROC is therefore no longer allowed to work as a National Olympic Committee within the meaning of the Olympic Charter. It also no longer receives financial support from the IOC. The IOC expressly reserved the right to take further measures on Thursday.
According to IOC spokesman Adams, the conditions under which Russian athletes are allowed to take part in international competitions remain “non-negotiable”. In March, the IOC recommended that world associations allow athletes from the country to compete again as neutral individual athletes without a flag, anthem and Russian team uniform. The condition is that the athletes have no connection to the military and do not support the war of aggression in Ukraine.