Original title: Olympic summit in-depth discussion on the return of Russian, Belarusian athletes to international competitions
Xinhua News Agency, Lausanne, Switzerland, December 9 (Reporter Shan Lei and Ji Ye) The 11th Olympic Summit ended at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland on the 9th. The participants discussed in depth the issue of Russian and Belarusian athletes returning to the international arena. The Olympic Council proposes to seek ways in Asia to help athletes from the two countries return to international competition, subject to the relevant sanctions.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the International Olympic Committee has imposed sanctions on Russia and Belarus, including calling on international individual sports organizations or national (regional) Olympic committees not to organize or support international events held between Russia and Belarus. Symbolic elements such as national flags and national anthems of the two countries will not be displayed in sporting events or activities.
The Olympic Summit statement stated that the IOC’s attitude towards sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian governments will not change, and will also fully help Ukrainian athletes and the country’s Olympic Committee prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan-Cortina D’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. At the same time, the statement also pointed out that the representatives at the meeting had in-depth discussions on the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the competition.
The statement stated that the issue of the participation of athletes from the two countries is actually a protective measure. On the one hand, it is to maintain the purity of international events, because some governments have begun to decide which athletes can or cannot participate in international events. This is against the political neutrality of sports. Whether athletes can participate should be determined by the sport itself; on the other hand, in some countries and regions, it is difficult to guarantee the personal safety of athletes from the two countries.
Athletes should be free from political interference and the purity of sport should be protected, the statement said. These protective measures put the Olympic Movement in a difficult position: on the one hand, they violated its own values and mission, which is to unite the world through peaceful competition; on the other hand, they had to ban athletes because of their passports.
During the discussion session, the Olympic Council of Asia stated that they proposed to seek ways to help athletes from the two countries return to international competitions within Asia on the basis of following relevant sanctions and abiding by the Olympic Charter.
Representatives from international individual sports organizations welcomed the proposal, but said that the proposal should be discussed on a case-by-case basis, and they will take corresponding measures according to the characteristics of each individual sport. The President of the Association of National Olympic Committees and the President of the IOC Athletes’ Commission also welcomed the proposal, saying it would allow the Olympic Movement to achieve its mission of uniting athletes and NOCs around the world. Representatives from the European Olympic Committee and the Association of African National Olympic Committees also expressed support for the corresponding view.
IOC President Bach thanked all parties present for the open and honest discussions, and he especially thanked the Olympic Council of Asia for this proposal.
The statement stated that the proposal of the Olympic Council of Asia will be further discussed at the next meeting of the IOC with its members, athlete representatives, international individual sports organizations, and national (regional) Olympic committees. “Our intention is to ensure that all parties to the Olympic Movement remain true to their mission of unity and peace,” the statement said.