The Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the next meeting discussed the possibility of admitting Russians and Belarusians to the competition.
The participants considered the initiatives that were put forward at the organization's summit in December, and also held consultations with other members of the Olympic movement, international sports organizations and Paralympic athletes.
As a result, the members of the executive committee agreed that it was impossible to continue the policy of isolating domestic athletes, however, they have not yet begun to lift the ban on participation in tournaments.
The Committee plans to set a number of conditions for the athletes, the fulfillment of which should guarantee their return to the international arena.
So, they will again be left without the flag and anthem of the country and will be able to perform only in a neutral status, and in order to receive it, they must meet certain criteria, in particular, not openly support a special military operation in Ukraine.
In addition, the IOC approved the proposal of the Olympic Council of Asia to give Russians and Belarusians access to Asian competitions and allow them to qualify for the next Olympic Games.
But, again, they will be able to do this only in a neutral status, which will also need to be obtained.
International federations immediately responded to the recommendations of the IOC.
The FIS promised to raise the issue of admission of athletes at the next council of the organization.
And World Athletics will discuss this topic in March if a decision is made to restore ARAF membership.
At the same time, Russia is still cautiously reacting to incoming news.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov drew attention to the fact that the statement again mixes sports with world processes.
“I find it impossible to comment before consideration.
We need to see what will be accepted.
So far, one thing is striking - even in the wording of the initiative there is too much politics, which should be alien to the ideas of the Olympic family, ”RBC Sport quotes Peskov as saying.
The head of the ROC, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, and the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Oleg Matytsin, spoke in unison on this issue.
According to the four-time Olympic champion, in relation to the Russians there should be no additional restrictions, requirements, sanctions based on nationality.
“I perceive the information from the IOC as an attempt to take a step towards the athletes.
But at the same time, unfortunately, it is also two steps in the opposite direction!
Now, on our part, an appropriate legal assessment will be made of the theses that are set out in the published information.
Based on legal expertise, we will build further interaction with international sports organizations and federations.
The priority for us is the same - ensuring the rights and interests of our athletes.
On equal terms, without discrimination, ”the official website of the ROC quotes the words of the head of the organization Pozdnyakov.
Matytsin, in turn, noted that the requirements of the IOC are contrary to the principles of equality and justice laid down in the Olympic Charter.
“The IOC, in its decision, speaks about the possibility of admitting athletes, trying to show the flexibility of its position.
At the same time, we consider it unacceptable to determine special conditions for participation for athletes ... No policy can and should not interfere in sports, there is no place for speculation about SVO, ”said Matytsin.
So far, it is really difficult to evaluate the IOC statement, since it is not clearly spelled out according to what criteria the organization plans to allow athletes to start and how strictly it will require them to be observed.
After all, even in history with a neutral status at the Olympics, everything turned out to be very ambiguous.
The games in Pyeongchang became a real nightmare for the national team, since a large number of athletes capable of winning medals were not allowed into the tournament for reasons unknown to anyone so far.
And then the ban on the flag and anthem of the country was felt by everyone.
In Tokyo and Beijing, the same restrictions were in effect, but the Russian tricolor, albeit in a slightly modified form, was present on the uniform of the athletes.
And it didn't bother anyone at all.
The second point is that the mechanism for issuing a neutral status is not clear.
Logically, the IOC is responsible only for the Olympics, and for other tournaments, the international federations.
And then the question arises, how they will interpret the criteria lowered by the committee.
After all, even on the point “not to support the SVO”, organizations have differences.
No one demands anything serious from tennis players, boxers, wrestlers, chess players today.
Just don't talk about it.
At the same time, the FIA asks to sign a special paper, which already puts the athletes in front of a moral choice.
In a difficult situation is, for example, FIS.
Among Russian skiers, only Veronika Stepanova spoke out openly on the subject of SVO, but Alexander Bolshunov took part in events in support of the special operation.
How to be with him?
Is the FIS able to give up the world's best skier in favor of Thomas Bach, or will they turn a blind eye to this for their own benefit?
Yes, and in the case of Stepanova, if desired, you can find a compromise.
Another question: is the Russian team, albeit in a neutral status, able to go to the World Cup without one of the members of the team.
In fact, the IOC is trying to achieve a split within the Russian sports community.
And State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova drew attention to this.
“With such proposals, they want to make society doubt: “What is wrong with this athlete?
Is he not a patriot?
If the IOC allowed him, then there is information that he does not support the CBO.
In this case, there will be a serious split in society, ”Zhurova believes.
However, it is not clear how everything will actually look like, since in addition to the IOC and the Russians, a large number of other organizations with their own interests are involved in this process.
And a lot will depend on whether the representatives of the ROC and the Ministry of Sports on the sidelines will be able to tip the scales in their favor and correctly explain everything to the fans of the national team.
At the same time, not everyone believes that any real actions will follow the IOC statement.
According to commentator Dmitry Guberniev, this message is another flirtation with the audience, and no changes for the better will happen in the near future.
“This is absolute demagoguery.
If we wanted to admit it, we would.
They said some nonsense and they sit satisfied.
Nobody will let us anywhere.
They put forward some conditions, then they will create a working group - someone will find out something there.
Some nonsense!”, — quotes the words of Guberniev “Championship”.