It got even worse: the IOC tightened the rules for athletes from Russia and Belarus

Ivan Zubov

As Novye Izvestia has already reported, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has considered the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions.

It became known that the IOC has issued recommendations to international federations and organizers of international competitions, according to which athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports can be admitted to competitions only in a neutral status and on an individual basis.

Recall that in February last year, the IOC announced the non-admission of Russian athletes to the competition. Now the rules are changing. National teams are not allowed. Also, athletes who actively support their own can not be allowed to compete. Those who have a "contract with Russian or Belarusian military organizations, national security services" are also not allowed. That is, athletes who play for CSKA and have officer ranks (even nominal ones) will not be allowed. And, of course, a neutral status is required — without the anthem, flag and other symbols.

Political scientist Alexey Makarkin comments on this new situation in his channel:

"In January of this year, the media claimed that an athlete for admission to the competition would have to condemn his own. But even then, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, said that this was an incorrect interpretation — and "non-support" would be enough. That is, if an athlete participates in events related to his own (anyhow, even humanitarian ones) or uses its symbols, then he is not allowed. If he does not show public activity in this matter, he will be able to participate.

National teams can also participate in competitions, but those to which the jurisdiction of the IOC does not apply. The Russian national football team has just held friendly matches with the teams of Iran and Iraq — and FIFA, by the way, even takes them into account in its rating. But no more than that.

The issue of admitting Russians to the 2024 Olympics in Paris has been postponed for the time being. But there is hardly any doubt that, at best, the conditions will be about the same. Moreover, some of the IOC member countries oppose the admission of Russians in principle. When the International Fencing Federation (FIE) decided this month to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in tournaments, Germany and Finland refused to hold fencing tournaments on their territory, and more than 300 fencers protested. So not everything has been decided yet — the IOC's position looks like an attempt at compromise.

But the question is whether such a compromise will suit the Russian side as well. Before, during the doping scandals, Russia approved compromise scenarios — without enthusiasm, but based on the interests of athletes for whom skipping the Olympics is a drama, professional and human. Now the state priorities have changed — neutrality with apoliticality in order to achieve individual goals (not to fall under sanctions, get admission to events) are not welcome. And partial admission on strict conditions, not only without a flag and anthem, but also without the most popular team sports for the Russian side looks extremely unattractive. So Pozdnyakov has already called the new criteria "unacceptable" and a "farce"..."