"Kneel outside the competition": Russia commented on the ban on political gestures during the Olympic Games

"We are glad that the IOC Executive Board fully supported our proposals"

On Wednesday, a regular meeting of the IOC Executive Committee took place, which was held in an online format.

One of the main points of the event was the discussion of the 50th article of the Olympic Charter, which states that "any demonstration or propaganda of a political, religious or racial nature is not allowed at the Olympic venues, in the venues of competitions and other Olympic zones."

As the Black Lives Matter movement protests against racial injustice has been active in recent months, Reuters has reported that calls for a rule change that will allow athletes to protest has increased in recent months.

Several leaders of international federations, including the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, Sebastian Coe, have said that athletes should have the right to make gestures of political protest during the Games.

The United States was the first to take an unprecedented step.

There, at the end of March, the National Olympic Committee lifted all bans on peaceful demonstrations in support of racial and social justice in the framework of competitions under its auspices.

In an open letter from US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Director General Sarah Hirschland, US team members want to speak out on political topics and "act as a positive force in society."

However, it was not possible to push through the innovations in the charter at the highest level.

The IOC Athletes' Commission recommended to the Executive Board to keep paragraph 50 as it was.

It is noted that during the consultations, 3,500 athletes were interviewed, representing 41 Olympic sports and members of 185 different National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

As a result, most of them spoke in favor of maintaining the existing restrictions.

“According to a quantitative study, a clear majority of athletes said that it was inappropriate to demonstrate or express their views on the playing field (70% of respondents), at official ceremonies (70% of respondents) or on a podium (67% of respondents),” says the official the IOC website.

According to the chairman of the athletes' commission Kirsty Coventry, the purpose of this survey was to hear the opinions of the athletes themselves and to find out their point of view regarding the expression of their political position during the competition and the awards ceremony.

“We want to strengthen the voices of athletes and find additional ways to uphold the values ​​of the Olympic Games and sporting principles.

This consultation process was very important to us and is part of an ongoing dialogue with the sports community.

We are pleased that the IOC Executive Board fully supported our proposals, ”said Coventry.

At the same time, participants in the Olympic Games are not prohibited from demonstrating their political position at press conferences and in mixed zones, as well as talking about it in the media and social networks.

It will also be possible to wear any symbols in the Olympic Village.

However, the IOC Athletes' Commission has recommended a range of measures to help demonstrate solidarity and unity.

For example, in the same Olympic village, it is proposed to make a fresco "Olympic Truce".

Also, the executive committee approved the amendments to the Olympic oath, including in it a reference to the inadmissibility of discrimination.

“We promise that we will participate in these Olympic Games respecting and abiding by the rules, in a spirit of fair play, inclusiveness and equality.

Together, we declare solidarity and commit ourselves to sports doping-free, cheating-free, and non-discriminatory.

We do this for the honor of our teams, respecting the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and for the sake of making the world a better place through sport, ”these are the words that will henceforth be spoken.

The recommendations will be valid for the next Summer and Winter Olympic Games in Tokyo and Beijing.

The IOC Executive Board has already asked the legal commission to clarify the list of sanctions for their violation in the near future.

"Go outside the competition and kneel there as long as you want."

In Russia, the IOC's decision to keep the 50th paragraph of the Olympic Charter was generally welcomed.

So, the former world boxing champion, and at the moment the deputy of the State Duma Nikolai Valuev emphasized that it is unacceptable to arrange "political games" from the Olympics.

“The IOC did the right thing.

I don't see any other option.

Go outside the competition and kneel there as much as you like.

This is a good sign.

Any political manifestations in sports are unacceptable.

If the IOC adhered to such a line, then our team would play under its own flag, "Valuev suggested in an interview with RT.

However, according to the deputy, the International Olympic Committee at the moment itself "is in politics up to its ears" and thus is only trying to "keep a good face in a bad game."

“Unfortunately, the decision of the IOC is largely forced.

They understand perfectly well that there will be temptations to make political gestures, and rightly believe that at the Olympic Games it is not politics that should be discussed, but who runs how fast and how far jumps, ”added Valuev.

But his colleague Dmitry Svishchev, who heads the Russian Curling Federation (FKR), called the IOC's verdict "intermediate".

“It is necessary to make a strategic decision and not allow such actions to be carried out during all international competitions both under the auspices of the IOC and under the auspices of international federations.

It should be a territory free of politics.

In my country, please.

We see that the situation in the world is very tense now.

Everything is thin.

We all represent different nationalities, we have different skin colors and political views.

Why complicate things further?

After all, people do not come to stadiums for this, but to enjoy their favorite game.

Athletes must comply with the Olympic Charter and not get involved in political actions, "the RT deputy emphasized.

According to the head of the FKR, a lot of political decisions have been made in sports recently, which already exacerbated the situation.

“Belarus was deprived of the right to host the World Ice Hockey Championship.

Some threaten to boycott the Beijing Olympics because of the infringement of the rights of the Uyghurs.

If this is not stopped, sport may soon become a tool for achieving political goals.

If the IOC clearly states that sporting events are a territory free of politics, there will be no problems, ”Svishchev added.