Paris 2024: Ukraine’s boycott of qualifying occasions ‘raises severe questions’, says the IOC

Ukraine’s resolution to boycott Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying occasions if Russians are participating “raises severe questions”, says the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC has really helpful that Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete below a impartial flag.

Nevertheless it has but to decide on the Olympic Video games in Paris in 2024.

“If carried out, such a choice would harm solely the Ukrainian athlete neighborhood,” mentioned the IOC in response to Ukraine’s stance.

“It might by no means impression the struggle that the world desires to cease, and that the IOC has so vehemently condemned.

“This raises severe questions concerning the autonomy of Ukrainian sport. The IOC has at all times maintained that it isn’t as much as governments to determine which athletes can take part by which worldwide competitions.”

The IOC added that the choice goes in opposition to “the place of various Ukrainian athletes and different members of the Ukrainian Olympic neighborhood”.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in January that Russian athletes ought to have “no place” on the Paris Video games.

And at first of April, minister Nemchinov indicated that any Ukrainian sporting physique permitting athletes to compete in qualifying occasions in opposition to Russians may lose its nationwide standing.

However the IOC says that any athlete selecting to compete “may depend on the direct assist of the Olympic Motion’s Solidarity Fund”.

A press release from the Affiliation of Nationwide Olympic Committees (ANOC) mentioned it “expressed alarm” on the boycott.

“Any authorities requires boycotts characterize a direct interference within the autonomy of sport,” it mentioned.

“These will solely contribute to the isolation of Nationwide Olympic Committees from the worldwide sporting neighborhood and can straight have an effect on the desires and aspirations of athletes.”

World Aquatics helps IOC’s stance

World Aquatics says it has arrange a taskforce to discover the opportunity of Russian and Belarusian athletes competing below a impartial flag at its worldwide occasions.

It added its assist for the IOC’s advice of the identical stance.

However it’s in distinction to World Athletics’ ruling which says Russian athletes stay banned “for the foreseeable future”.

“The taskforce, made up of athletes and representatives from throughout the aquatics neighborhood, will start work instantly on creating a advice to the World Aquatics Bureau,” World Aquatics mentioned.

In 2022, World Aquatics moved the short-course world swimming championships from Kazan, Russia, to Melbourne.

Kazan has been changed by Singapore for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.

The taskforce will report its findings to the World Aquatics Bureau in July, which makes it unlikely that any Russian or Belarusian athletes will compete within the World Swimming Championships which occur in Fukuoka, Japan, between 14-30 July.

Equestrian maintains Russia and Belarus ban

The Worldwide Equestrian Federation (FEI) introduced on Wednesday {that a} ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, horses and officers from collaborating in its occasions will stay in place till additional discover.

The FEI launched the measure in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

FEI president Ingmar de Vos mentioned the board mentioned the IOC’s proposal for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals however agreed that “at this stage neutrality can’t be outlined and evaluated in a sufficiently passable manner”.

De Vos added that no occasions organised in Russia and Belarus shall be entered within the FEI calendar for 2023.