Espreso. Global

34 countries reaffirm demand to IOC to suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from Olympics – statement

21 February, 2023 Tuesday
13:21

More than 30 countries supported Ukraine's demand to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international sports competitions, even as part of a neutral team

client/title.list_title

The countries issued a joint statement expressing their concern over the latest proposals from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which explore a path that would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition.

The main theses of the statement are as follows:

  • The situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate after the IOC banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing last year. And now there is no reason to reverse this decision;

  • There are serious concerns about Russian and Belarusian athletes competing on a neutral basis, given that they are directly funded and supported by their respective states. Until an effective model of "neutrality" is detailed, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to compete;

  • There are clear concerns about the strong ties between Russian athletes and the Russian military;

  • The IOC should consider the issues identified by all countries and revise its proposal;

  • Russia and Belarus can pave the way for the full return of their athletes to the international sports community by ending the war they started.

The statement noted that the support of France, as the host country of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, and Greece, as the home of the Olympics, is particularly significant. The appeal was also signed by 2021 Olympic host Japan, Italy, which will host the 2026 Winter Olympics, and 2028 Summer Olympic host, the United States.

Other signatories include: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Great Britain and Sweden.

"Noting the IOC’s stated position that no final decisions have been made, we strongly urge the IOC to address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal accordingly," the document states.

The statement says that it confirms the position of the countries, which was developed on February 10 during the sports ministers representatives meeting. It was then supported by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Two previous collective statements of March 8, 2022 and July 4, 2022 were then confirmed. They supported the IOC statement of February 28, 2022, which recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes not participate in competitions while the war in Ukraine continues:

"We noted that the situation on the ground in Ukraine has only worsened since this statement. We firmly believe that, given there has been no change in the situation regarding the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and as an imperative for fairness and solidarity towards the Ukrainian athletes whose facilities have been destroyed and who have had to leave their country (or stay to fight for the defense of Ukraine in which very many have lost their lives), there is no practical reason to move away from the exclusion regime for Russian and Belarusian athletes set by the IOC in their statement of 28 February 2022."

The countries also criticized the statement of the International Olympic Committee dated January 25, 2023, which stated the intention of the IOC to return athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus to participation in the Olympics and selection for it:

"While recognising the autonomy of sports bodies, given the invasion of Ukraine and its devastation is ongoing, we agreed that the IOC’s proposal on exploring a pathway back to competition for individual Russian and Belarusian athletes raises many questions and concerns."

 

Tags:
Read also:
  • News
2025, Friday
17 January
21:20
Belarusian volunteer Maria Zaitseva killed near Bakhmut
20:55
Russian oil tankers under construction added to U.S. sanctions list
20:32
Exclusive
Ukraine Russia war live map, January 8-15
Russian forces resort to 'Zhiguli' cars for assaults on Ukrainian positions
20:10
Finnish party drops candidate over calling Ukraine war 'special military operation'
19:51
Ukrainian paratroopers capture 7 Russian soldiers in operation near Kurakhove
19:29
Zelenskyy awards Hero of Ukraine title to defender Dmytro Maslovskyi, who died in hand-to-hand combat
19:10
Exclusive
Military expert Zgurets addresses claims of 'manipulation' in WWII-era mine report
18:50
OPINION
Rubio understands Putin’s true goal
18:31
Russia’s Putin, Iran’s Pezeshkian sign strategic partnership agreement
18:10
Press release
Serhiy Zgurets' materials are reliable, free of manipulation: Espreso on controversy around publication on outdated mine procurement
17:54
In Kryvyi Rih, man lost his second wife in Russian attack, having buried his first during Kherson's occupation
17:35
97 clashes reported on Russian-Ukrainian front on Jan.17: tense situation in Pokrovsk sector
17:19
Updated
Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih leaves four dead, several injured
17:14
OPINION
From powerhouse to prison: Russia’s descent under Putin
16:53
Ukrainian forces neutralize, capture Russian soldiers behind execution of two POWs
16:34
Exclusive
Trump's team knows losing Ukraine means China wins war – politician Rybachuk
16:15
How Russia’s ties with Iran shape war in Ukraine
16:00
Updated
Ukraine-Southeast Europe ministerial meeting in Kyiv issues joint communiqué
15:56
Review
Flying nonstop for over two days: inside Penguin drones supporting Ukrainian forces at front
15:35
Exclusive
Ukrainian general names three key strategic targets for Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russia
15:12
Russia's inflation surges as Central Bank faces political pressure
14:51
Russian drone attacks Ukrainian Witness filming crew in Zaporizhzhia sector
14:34
BTR-D
Russian forces use sunk BTR-Ds to create river crossings in Kursk
14:15
OPINION
Ukrainian refugees at risk: why is Slovakia threatening to halt aid?
13:33
Ukraine to introduce basic military training in universities
13:11
Exclusive
Russian forces try to surround Velyka Novosilka from almost all directions — military expert
12:54
OPINION
"Deal of the century": grandiose rhetoric, but still missing the mark
12:30
Ukrainian forces hit Russian radar equipment in Belgorod region
12:10
Exclusive
Europe either wakes up this year or becomes Russia’s next target — Ukrainian diplomat
11:50
Exclusive
Russian forces fail to cross Oskil River in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region — Ukrainian officer
11:33
Russia launches drone barrage on Ukraine, injures child in Kyiv
11:13
Russia's attacks cause nearly one-third increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2024
10:55
Russian diplomats gain unauthorized access to restricted UK Parliament area
10:36
Review
New UK agreement: financial aid, deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine. Serhiy Zgurets’ column
10:13
Ukraine reports 141 combat clashes, halts 53 Russian attacks in Pokrovsk direction
09:54
German FM criticizes Scholz government over €3 billion aid delay to Ukraine
09:32
Russia loses 1,670 soldiers, 13 armored vehicles, 12 tanks in one day of war in Ukraine
2025, Thursday
16 January
21:20
Updated
Zelenskyy responds to Polish presidential candidate opposing Ukraine’s EU, NATO membership
20:54
Exclusive
Moscow unlikely to agree to peacekeepers in Ukraine - Institute of World Policy
20:33
Exclusive
Trust in U.S., West declines among Ukrainians - survey
More news