Russian Olympic Committee gets suspended by IOC Executive Board for violating territorial integrity of Ukraine’s membership

After publicly supporting Russian athletes for seven months, the IOC executive board has finally reached a decision. The governing bodies of Olympic sports were urged to seek alternate solutions.

Russian Olympic Committee gets suspended by IOC Executive Board for violating territorial integrity of Ukraine’s membership

Thomas Bach IOC [Image Credit- The Hindu]

The IOC prevented Russia from engaging in sports competitions after they assumed control over sports administration in Ukraine following almost 20 months of conflict. The Olympics temporarily barred the Russian Olympic Committee from participating in the decision of the International Olympic Committee. They are in such a situation because they have disregarded the rules outlined in the Olympic Charter, according to reports.

This event occurred when the inclusion of sports councils took place in four regions of eastern Ukraine. A disagreement arose last week due to Russian Olympic officials’ decision to incorporate the councils of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia into their group. According to a statement released in Mumbai, India, the International Olympic Committee has expressed its disapproval of one party’s decision as it violates the guidelines established in the Olympic Charter.

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According to the International Olympic Committee, this decision violates the rights of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. The punishment will not have an immediate impact on Russian athletes competing internationally without officially representing a particular country. Nonetheless, it indicated increasing frustration within the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach.

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The authority lies with them to prohibit all Russian athletes from competing in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Based on their nationality, the IOC holds the authority to determine the eligibility of Russian athletes for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina 2026.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, presents the Russian Olympic Committee with the chance to dispute the decision made by the International Olympic Committee. As a member of the international sports community, the Russian Olympic Committee maintains the right to advocate for the interests of its athletes and country-affiliated organizations with integrity.

Related: USPOC seeks clarity from Russian athletes over “neutrality” for participating in Paris Olympics 2024

Russian Olympic Committee has criticized the move IOC

The Russian Olympic Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the decision made by the International Olympic Committee, believing it lacked assistance and instead harbored evident political motives. Thomas Bach, who heads the IOC, has faced extensive criticism for the organization’s perceived leniency towards Russia throughout a decade-long doping scandal.

IOC [Image Credit- Eurosport]
IOC [Image Credit- Eurosport]

Regardless of proven allegations and government backup regarding cheating and tampering with evidence, the IOC has never enforced a blanket ban on Russia’s athletes and teams competing in the Olympics. After seven months, the IOC board has reached a new verdict. They previously expressed their solidarity with Russian athletes and recommended that sports organizations include them in the qualifying events for the Paris Games.

Contrary to the wishes of the Ukrainian President and several Ukrainian athletes, the IOC made a decision that went against their preferred outcome. Despite their desire to maintain the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus, the IOC implemented a policy allowing them to take part. Different sports will carry on with their vetting processes despite the IOC suspension being in effect since Thursday. This suspension doesn’t apply to Belarus.

In a meeting with journalists, Mark Adams, the IOC spokesperson, mentioned that despite the suspension of the national Olympic committee, independent athletes will still have the opportunity to participate. Adams stated that prior to the official announcement, he had already informed the Russian Olympic Committee about their suspension.

Team sports events involving Russia and other countries remain prohibited.UEFA’s endeavor to allow Russian under-17 teams to participate in the qualifying rounds for their European Championship was met with failure. The new regulation prevents the ROC from obtaining monetary resources from the IOC, whose headquarters are situated in Switzerland.

Every four years, the money generated during the Olympic funding cycle amounts to millions of dollars. There are discussions within the Russian government regarding the possibility of pursuing legal measures to retrieve the outstanding money from the war.

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