Uncertainty about the participation of Russian athletes in the qualifying events for the Paris Olympics affects “less than half” of the 32 sports, an organization that groups the governing bodies of the sports of the Olympic Games acknowledged on Friday.
These sports have urged greater clarity from the International Olympic Committee on the qualifying events yet to be played with 17 months to go before the tournament begins.
Most of the bodies maintain the veto against Russia and its military ally Belarus due to the invasion in Ukraine – the IOC recommended the veto citing the safety of athletes, before changing its mind.
There are two problems,” admitted the executive director of the Association of International Summer Olympic Federations Andrew Ryan on Friday after the council meeting. “The clock keeps ticking. We cannot leave it open before waiting for a decision.”
“The other is, if we are going to include neutral Russian athletes, what is the definition of neutrality? I don’t think it’s easy to find.”
The seven members of the council of the association representing Olympic sports in Paris met for the first time since the IOC asked to find a way to allow Russian athletes who do not actively support the war to compete as neutral athletes.
IOC President Thomas Bach assured that history will be on his side for trying to bring athletes together in peace and without discriminating because of their passports.
The reaction is led by. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as current and former Olympic medalists. who insist they must exclude Russia. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has said that a Russian delegation should not participate while the war continues.
Although some Nordic and Baltic countries have considered a boycott of the Olympics, last week 35 countries – including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany – issued a statement calling for them to define “a model of neutrality” for athletes.
