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The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, stated that the respectful conduct of the Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competition is a key factor in their ultimate decision of letting them participate in the Olympics or not, on July 18, Tuesday. Paris 2024 is the 33rd edition of the Olympiad, the quadrennial multi-sporting event, which will take place from July 26 to August 11 next year in France.
Earlier in the year, the IOC had recommended the governing bodies of various sports to allow the athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutrals at international competitions, which includes the qualifying tournaments for the upcoming Olympics. Back then, the 69-year-old also mentioned that the final call on Paris 2024 will be taken “at the appropriate time, at its full discretion,” about the participation of the aforementioned athletes in the Olympiad, while the Russian-Ukraine war continues.
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But, on July 18, Tuesday, the IOC President made a clarification that they are only interested in how well the Russian and Belarusian athletes behave in international competitions and not the war question. Thomas Bach said to the reporters during an online briefing, “Right now it is more to monitor the situation on the field of play, whether the rules are respected, the conditions are respected, by everybody.”
Thomas Bach talks about not punishing Russian and Belarusian athletes for acts of their government
During the online briefing, ahead of the one-year countdown to the Paris 2024 opening ceremony next week, IOC President Thomas Bach said, “It’s too soon to draw final conclusions,” about what the future holds for Russian and Belarusian athletes in regard to the Olympiad.
The former Olympic gold medalist in fencing talked about how the acts of Russia and their close ally Belarus, in waging war against Ukraine since 2022, shouldn’t let the athletes of the respective countries not take part in the Olympics. He was quoted as saying, “We have the responsibility not to punish athletes for the acts of their government.”
