Russian Olympic chief
Russian Olympic chief accuses IOC of taking Ukraine side. On Friday, the head of Russia’s Olympic Committee accused the International Olympic Committee of taking sides after it asked sports federations to be sensitive while dealing with Ukrainian athletes.
“The in question statement indicates that the IOC determined for itself and picked a side in the political conflict, (and) began to act in the interests of this side,” Stanislav Pozdnyakov stated on Telegram.
Olha Kharlan, a Ukrainian fencer, was disqualified on Thursday at the World Fencing Championships in Milan for refusing to shake the hand of her defeated Russian opponent Anna Smirnova.
The International Fencing Federation requires the two fencers to shake hands.
Following the incident, the IOC urged international federations to “handle situations involving Ukrainian and individual neutral athletes with the necessary degree of sensitivity”.
According to Pozdnyakov, these remarks “clearly showed the duplicity of the so-called recommendations, criteria and parameters”.
“Now we have been involuntarily but clearly shown the attitude which absolutely any Russian will face at international competitions.
“Olympics is officially being turned into a tool controlled from the outside in the interests of a geopolitical order to neutralize our citizens and sports organizations.”
The IOC has imposed athletic sanctions on Moscow and its ally Minsk since Russia launched its invasion in Ukraine, but earlier this year proposed letting Russian and Belarusian athletes compete as individuals under a neutral flag and without an anthem.
The International Olympic Committee has yet to make a final decision on whether Russians and Belarusians will be allowed to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Paris.
Pozdnyakov stated that if Russian athletes are able to travel to Paris, “only a few” will be able to do so, and that “it remains to be seen what the new conditions will be and at what stage they will be available.”