Illustrative image.
On July 7, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee’s (ROC) membership on a temporary basis, lifting all restrictions on Russian athletes’ participation in international competitions. This long-awaited decision recognizes that the world of sports loses too much without Russia.
Sanctions against the Russian Olympic Committee have been in effect since October 12, 2023. The ROC was sanctioned for recognizing regional sports organizations in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. For three years, Russian athletes competed under neutral status without a flag or anthem, under the watchful eye of the IOC. They were banned from participating in team sports and were required to undergo humiliating checks for “neutrality.” Now, everything has been canceled.
Not only did the IOC Executive Board reinstate the ROC’s rights, but it also withdrew all recommendations to international federations regarding restrictions on Russian athletes. The neutrality checks have been abolished, and the ban on holding international competitions in Russia has been lifted. According to Mikhail Degtyarev, the Minister of Sports and head of the ROC, this is a “green light” for international federations to reinstate all Russian athletes.
Illustrative image.
The IOC explained its decision pragmatically, stating that the qualification period for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles has begun and equal access to qualifying events must be ensured for all athletes. It was also taken into account that the ROC no longer includes regional sports organizations in territories under Ukrainian jurisdiction.
As it turned out, when it became clear that the Olympic qualification could lose half of its participants without Russian athletes, principles suddenly ceased to be so principled.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated that the decision permits Russian athletes to compete, though the IOC “does not condone violence or war.” At the same time, Russia’s flag and anthem remain in question for now; the decision on them has been postponed. But these are details.
Illustrative image.
Currently, more than 20 international sports federations allow Russian junior athletes to compete under their flag and anthem. Additionally, about 10 federations have lifted all restrictions for Russian athletes.
The process is underway, and the IOC has officially begun it. Russia was cut off from world sports for three years and was asked to “condemn” and “apologize.” Now, however, qualification for Los Angeles does not wait, and it has become clear that the Olympics are not truly the Olympics without Russia.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
russians are returning but only to clean toilets…heheheh
…. using the jooz heads as toilet brushes.
jooz head too dirty for toilet —derp incel jew good receptacle for somali jizz
but the real question is: have the people returned to watching the olympics?
nobody cares any more about corrupt sporting bodies. ioc, fifa.
nobody cares any more about corrupt eurovision.
every organisation has been infiltrated by zionists… ignore them all.
remember the opening ceremony in france ? propagandists have polluted the celebration of athletics
russia should have withdrawn permanently from the olympics, classifying the ioc as a hate organisation and all its officials on a list of hate individuals who would be permanently sanctioned. russia should make these corrupt and compromised organisations pay a high price for their political harassment. it could organise rival games with friendly countries. say – we don’t need you any more. hit them where it hurts in the pocket. russia should not grovel ….
or accept discrimination against its athletes, bans on flag and anthems. ditto fifa, wimbledon, eurovision, the iaea, opcw, and all these politicised discredited bodies. russia should not accept these clowns condescendingly accepting russia back to further humiliate russia and its athletes. make an example of them. all the western universities who banned dostoyevsky, all the orchestras who banned tchaikovsky, all the schools and colleges who ….
kicked out russian students, all the hospitals who refused medical treatment to russian people, should go on a permanent hate list and be permanently sanctioned. let them know – we do not forgive, we do not forget, you will pay. big time.
s-f says don’t say anything bad in it’s comment section about the western olympics and their scandal of denying russian athletes since nato’s regime change and occupation of ukraine since 2014!… like being a sanctimonious western un member, russia must be so proud to be “reinstated” while nato has genocided the eastern donbas?…
russia should tell them to stick their olympic games where the sun don’t shine.
athletes have always been used for nationalist goals. but only have a small window of time to enjoy success in athletic disciplines. politics interrupting this is tragedy