International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said last week that they are considering somehow allowing Russians and Belarusians to participate again. The reason this is happening right now is to have time to participate in the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Subsequently, the Nordic Olympic Committees issued a joint statement opposing the IOC’s new line.
They would have addressed this issue at the start of the European Olympic Committee’s seminar in Olympia, Greece, and at the same time they would have argued that they believe it wrong that Russia and Belarus have been allowed to participate in the seminar. But then Peter Reinebo was silenced.
– In connection with the general secretary of the EoC, examining the conditions of the meeting, he spoke of the importance of open communication. It was an opportunity for me to raise my hand and say I have a comment, he says.
He had time to deliver the message about the representatives at the meeting, but when he was about to read their joint statement, the microphone was turned off.
– It was a very unpleasant experience. Be treated that way.
At the beginning of the meeting it was said that the meeting was not meant to discuss politics, but Reinebo doesn’t believe they did.
– Our approach was not to discuss politics, but to protest against the implementation of the meeting in this way, he says and continues:
– I think it is unacceptable that you are not allowed to speak fully in a comment about a meeting you are just starting. It was something we performed on the first break.
Shortly thereafter, the Ukrainian delegation, which had sent a similar message, was also silenced.
– There was a very special atmosphere in the room, of course. Many people thought it didn’t have to happen that way. So you can have different points of view on the matter and we know you do, Reinebo says.
CUT: In February, the IOC wanted to prevent Russian athletes from competing
