Council of Europe member Helleland says there can be no neutral athletes at the 2024 Olympics
The international community needs to prevent the participation in the 2024 Olympics of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports, even in a neutral status, as their admission would mean that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took Russia’s side in the conflict with Ukraine. Linda Helleland, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and a member of the Norwegian Parliament, stated this. Lenta.ru studied the text of Helleland’s corresponding appeal to the Norwegian government.
She recalled that in February 2022, in connection with the start of a special operation by Russia in Ukraine, the IOC took a number of restrictive measures against Russian sports.
“The IOC called on all international sports federations to reschedule or cancel planned sporting events in Russia and Belarus, and also demanded that the national flags of Russia or Belarus not be flown. During international sporting events, the national anthem of Russia or Belarus should not be played, the IOC also recommended that international sports federations and organizers of sporting events not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions,” Helleland specified.
“There are no neutral athletes”
She clarified that, despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the IOC is considering the possibility of participation of athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports in the 2024 Olympics as “neutral athletes”.
“On June 22, the Council of Europe decided to demand that the IOC ban Russia and Belarus from participating in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. As a member of the Council of Europe, I believe that we cannot allow the IOC to use sport as a propaganda tool,” the parliamentarian referred to the previously published PACE recommendation regarding the activities of the IOC.
There are no neutral athletes. Allowing athletes to compete under a neutral flag, as proposed by the IOC and some special federations, means that the IOC is siding with Russia. (…) We risk hosting the Olympics next year without Ukrainian athletes
She also expressed her opinion. that the IOC is “trying to absolve itself of all responsibility”, leaving the decision on the participation of the Russians “at the discretion of the special federations”. Helleland calls on the IOC to “stand on the right side of history” and deny Russians and Belarusians participation in the 2024 Olympics.
In this regard, she turned to the Norwegian government with a question about how it intends to influence the implementation of the aforementioned PACE recommendation on a complete ban on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Olympics.
All sections of the international community are sacrificing something for the sake of Ukraine’s victory. (…) This should also apply to the IOC. Because it is about the values and protection of human life, dignity and peace, which, paradoxically, are enshrined in the Olympic Charter. (…) The Ukrainian people need our help in every possible way
PACE recommendation on the non-admission of Russians to the Olympic Games-2024 in a neutral status
On June 23, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution calling on the IOC to deny Russian and Belarusian athletes admission to the 2024 Games in Paris, even in a neutral status. According to RIA Novosti, the document stated that any participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes “is unthinkable, it will certainly be used as a propaganda tool and will de facto prevent other athletes, primarily Ukrainians, from taking part.”
The PACE resolution was a reaction, among other things, to the fact that on March 28 the IOC recommended that Belarusians and Russians who did not support the special operation in Ukraine be admitted to the competitions in a neutral status. At the same time, athletes from Russia and Belarus associated with the armed forces or security agencies of their countries were recommended to be removed from participation in the starts.
Source: Lenta
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