In 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board announced new criteria for Russian athletes who wished to compete — under the banner ‘Individual Neutral Athlete’, referred to as AIN. This came after aggressive calls from the United States and UK to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the IOC of “ethnic discrimination.”
Conversely, no such calls to ban Israeli athletes were raised by the ‘international community’ following Israel brutal genocide of the native Palestinian population in Gaza.
Recently, some positive signs have come out of Olympic hierarchy regarding the reinstatement of Russian athletes to international sports…
RT International reports…
Russia could be allowed to return to the Olympics once the Ukraine conflict is resolved, World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe has said. In an interview with journalist Piers Morgan released last week, Coe, one of seven candidates vying to replace Thomas Bach as the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), suggested it would be “far better” to have Russian athletes competing than barred from the Games.
The IOC banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. It also recommended that international sports federations follow suit, resulting in the exclusion of both nations from most global sporting events. While the IOC later allowed some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as individuals under neutral flags – including at the Paris Olympics last year – national teams remain barred.
“It’s not for me to design peace treaties, but… if we get to a situation where an agreement is made and it meets with the satisfaction of both sides… it is far better to have people in your sport rather than sitting outside it,” Coe said when asked whether he would allow Russia to return if he becomes IOC president. He added that while the IOC would have to “look very closely” at the situation, he personally sees no issue with Russia’s reinstatement.
Coe suggested that the Ukraine conflict is the only reason Russia remains excluded from the Olympics, noting that World Athletics previously lifted its eight-year ban on Russian athletes imposed over doping allegations. Moscow has consistently denied claims of state-sponsored doping.
Moscow has long accused Western nations of pressuring sports federations to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes for political reasons. It has criticized international sports bodies and the IOC in particular for “politicizing” sports…
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