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President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, speaking about the suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus, said that governments should not decide whether or not to allow athletes to participate in international competitions. This was reported by Interfax with reference to Bach’s interview with the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.
“We take human rights issues seriously and should take this into account… But it is not for governments to decide who can participate in sporting events. This would be the end of international sporting events, including the World Championships and the Olympic Games as we know them today,” he said.
“We saw at the Australian Open how a Ukrainian tennis player plays against a neutral player with a Russian passport. We saw a neutral Belarusian athlete who even won the Australian Open. So why shouldn’t it be possible in the pool or in the gym?” – added the head of the IOC.
The International Olympic Committee in February 2022 recommended that sports federations remove Russians and Belarusians from competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. Most federations have followed the recommendations of the IOC.
Source: Rosbalt
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