Russia on Saturday accused the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of violating Olympic principles by suggesting its athletes might be allowed to compete again provided they do not support the invasion of Ukraine.
Responding to IOC President Thomas Bach’s idea, a head of the sport’s federation said that attending the Olympics should not require athletes to become traitors.
Russian news agencies quoted Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin as saying: “The main task of the international Olympic movement is to provide athletes with equal access to participate in the Olympic Games, regardless of their views and religions, traditions and citizenships.”
Matytsin said Russia will continue to speak to the IOC and hopes it will change its stance. “Bach’s recent testimony violates Olympic principles,” he said.
The head of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, told RIA news agency that the Olympics had “no principled position that you have to be a traitor to the motherland”.
He added: “What do these words of Bach mean – that we must now condemn our people, our President, our country? What do his words mean? What choice is that?”
The IOC in February issued guidance for sports federations to remove athletes from Russia and Belarus from competition, allowing Moscow to use its territory as a launch pad for the February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Bach explained the IOC’s considerations to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: “It’s not about necessarily getting Russia back. It’s about having athletes with a Russian passport back in competition who don’t support the war… This war wasn’t started by the Russian athletes.”
Russia, which traditionally boasts as an Olympic powerhouse, has been banned from competing under its flag or playing its national anthem at consecutive games as punishment for widespread doping violations.