The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, does not think that Russia could use its neutral athletes, who would compete in next year’s Olympics in Paris, for propaganda.
The head of the IOC commented on the topic in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.
“A neutral athlete does not represent the state, which is also evident from the fact that he must not identify himself with anything that could point to his country. This shows in front of the eyes of the whole world that this government is sanctioned,” says Bach.
Two weeks ago, the IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to start under a neutral flag at the Olympics, despite the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
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Athletes who actively support the war or belong to the armed forces of Russia will not be allowed to Paris.
The decision itself met with strong criticism from the European Olympic Committees. Ukraine objected to him the most.
“The IOC members are responsible for encouraging Russia and Belarus in their armed invasion against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry responded.
“We have no doubt that Moscow will use every Russian and Belarusian athlete as a weapon in its propaganda war,” adds the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.
2023-12-25 18:52:00
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