Swedish biathlete Samuelsson called the IOC’s position on the admission of Russia to tournaments strange
Swedish biathlete Sebastian Samuelsson, who opposes the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions, appreciated the position of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the admission of the country to tournaments. His words are quoted by Expressen.
The athlete called the decision sad and strange, noting that the recommendations from the spring of 2022 were correct. In his opinion, there is nothing that could justify the position of the IOC on the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes. “In my opinion, it is naive to think that politics and sports are not connected,” summed up Samuelsson.
On January 25, the IOC announced that it was considering the possibility of individual admission to competitions for Russian and Belarusian athletes. It is clarified that only athletes who did not support the CBO in Ukraine and did not violate anti-doping rules will be able to get permission to compete in international tournaments.
At the end of February 2022, many sports organizations banned the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participating in tournaments on the recommendation of the IOC. In some disciplines, such as motorsport, cycling, tennis, boxing, MMA and chess, the Russians continue to play in a neutral status.
Source: Lenta
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