The Russian president Vladimir Putin was in favor of Russia compete in the 2024 Olympic Gamesbut said that the country must reflect on whether it should be in Paris whether the event is designed to portray Russian sport as “dying”.
He International Olympic Committee declared last week that Russians and Belarusians who qualify in their sports for the Games of Paris They may participate as neutrals, without flags, emblems or anthems.
Russians and Belarusians had initially been banned from competing internationally following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, for which it has been used Belarus as a setting.
At his annual year-end press conference, Putin He said that while he was in favor of Russians competing in the Games, there was a need to further evaluate what neutral status would mean for the country’s athletes.
“They have been training for years (…) and that is why I have supported our athletes going to these competitions, but we still have to carefully analyze the conditions that the IOC has set”said Putin.
“If the artificial conditions of the IOC are designed to leave out the best Russian athletes and portray at the Olympic Games that Russian sport is dying, then you have to decide whether to go there at all”added the president.
He IOC He said neutral athletes will compete only in individual sports and teams from the two countries will not be allowed. Athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine They are not eligible, nor are those hired by the Russian or Belarusian Army.
Russia has strongly protested against the restrictions imposed on its athletes, claiming that they go against the spirit of the Games.
“Everything that international officials do in relation to Russian sports is a complete contradiction and distortion of the ideas of Pierre de Coubertin”said Putinreferring to the founder of the Olympic movement. “If they continue acting in the same way, they will bury the Olympic movement”hill.
Source: Ambito
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