"It is deplorable to see that these governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement, nor the autonomy of sport," the German leader told reporters after three days of meeting of the body's executive board.
The IOC boss's insistence on the "autonomy" of the sporting sphere is anything but new, as he was prevented from defending his Olympic title in team foil at the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of the boycott of the competition imposed by several Western governments on their athletes.
He had also reaffirmed on Tuesday, at a time when the IOC recommended a partial and conditional return of Russians and Belarusians in international events, "the firm refusal of any political interference in the ability of sports organizations to decide alone on participation in their competitions".
But Thomas Bach has clearly hardened the tone Thursday after the anger of several governments, from the German Minister of Sport denouncing "a slap in the face to Ukrainian athletes" to the head of Polish diplomacy evoking "a day of shame for the IOC".
"It is deplorable that these governments do not deal with the issue of double standards," said the Bavarian, explaining that of the "70 or so ongoing armed conflicts in the world", only the war in Ukraine is causing political pressure on the sporting world.
The actors of the Olympic movement - national Olympic committees, international federations, athletes' representatives - "are very concerned about the politicisation of sport", added Thomas Bach.
The IOC boss also reiterated that the body would decide "when the time comes" on a possible participation of Russians and Belarusians in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, limited to individual events and under a neutral banner.
© 2023 AFP