FILE PHOTO: The Olympic rings stand proudly in front of the majestic Hotel de Ville City Hall in Paris, France, on March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) affirms its unwavering support for Ukraine, but remains open to considering any plan put forth by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Games.
With the countdown to the Olympics just a little over a year away, there is growing pressure on the IOC, sporting federations, national Olympic committees, and governments to make a definitive decision on the involvement of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Games.
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow in February 2022, the IOC sanctioned Russia and its ally Belarus. However, earlier this year, the IOC recommended that their athletes be permitted to return to international competition as neutrals. Gene Sykes, the chair of the USOPC, has consistently emphasized the committee’s solidarity with Ukraine while expressing a willingness to entertain any proposals from the IOC. The IOC recently stated that it has ample time to make a determination on Russian participation.
There are mounting concerns that if Russian athletes are cleared to compete in Paris, even as neutrals, it could lead to a boycott by Ukraine. Sykes stated during a conference call on Monday, “We believe there are numerous challenges in ensuring our support for Olympic values while simultaneously supporting the athletes. We have been measured and willing to give the IOC the opportunity to explore the possibility, understanding how Russian or Belarusian athletes who are neutral, truly neutral, could compete on the international stage. That has been our approach thus far—to carefully observe and constructively engage with the IOC in sharing our perspective.”
Many international federations have included Russian and Belarusian athletes who can compete without displaying their national flag or anthem, while athletes who support the war or have affiliations with military or national security agencies are excluded. However, a separate decision regarding the Paris Olympics is still pending from the IOC. The main challenge with such a plan lies in determining which athletes can genuinely be regarded as neutral. The USOPC has disclosed that independent organizations like Sportradar are providing valuable input and conducting background checks to help federations make informed decisions.
“While the conversation surrounding Russian participation has evolved over time, our position has remained unchanged,” stated Sykes. “Above all else, we stand in solidarity with the people and athletes of Ukraine.”
RELATED STORIES
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Read Next
Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to gain access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and over 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download articles as early as 4am, and share on social media. Call 896 6000. For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘2004610026278274’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘767727496894134’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘607491687857238’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
