With simply six months to go till the Paris Olympics, it’s nonetheless not clear if Russians will probably be competing and, in that case, what number of.
Russians are qualifying for Olympic spots as “neutral athletes” in fight occasions resembling judo and wrestling, however not in a number of the Games’ highest-profile occasions like monitor and discipline, swimming and gymnastics.
Russia is sad its rivals will compete with out the nationwide flag or anthem, and President Vladimir Putin mentioned final month Russia was but to resolve whether or not to ship athletes to the Paris Games, which begin on July 26.
Ukrainian athletes are angered by what they see as some sports activities our bodies bending the foundations to permit Russians who assist the struggle or have ties to the navy to compete as “neutrals.”
If Russians compete in Paris, there will probably be rigidity, similar to on the world fencing championships, an Olympic qualifier, when Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan refused to shake fingers after beating Russian “neutral” Anna Smirnova.
Smirnova staged a sitdown protest till the Ukrainian was disqualified, however the International Olympic Committee intervened and granted Kharlan a “unique exception” to compete on the Olympics.
HOW RUSSIANS CAN QUALIFY
The IOC final 12 months arrange an “Individual Neutral Athlete” program for athletes from Russia and its navy ally Belarus. They each had been suspended from most Olympic sports activities a 12 months earlier over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The course of is run by the sports activities federations which set up their very own qualifying competitions. The IOC needs them to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes who’re employed by the navy or safety providers or who posted on social media supporting the struggle. The multitude of various guidelines throughout the Games’ 32 sports activities imply precise numbers of these with “neutral” standing are onerous to confirm.
The IOC says six Russians and 5 Belarusians have already certified for Paris. There are many extra qualifying occasions to come back.
The IOC will appoint “independent analysts” for its personal vetting, spokesman Mark Adams mentioned final week.
“You can have some confidence that those people who have qualified will have already been through one process and then will be going through a second process run by the IOC but using an independent organization,” Adams mentioned.
Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov informed state information company RIA Novosti on Wednesday he anticipated “much stricter” circumstances and recommended the additional vetting meant the IOC “doesn’t fully trust the international sports federations.”
WHICH SPORTS ARE RUSSIANS COMPETING IN?
Combat sports activities had been particularly keen about bringing again Russian rivals. Judo, fencing, wrestling and taekwondo led the way in which in admitting “neutral athletes” in 2023 and Russians have commonly competed of their Olympic qualifying occasions.
Different Russian sports activities our bodies have taken various approaches to the “neutral athlete” system, and there hasn’t been a closing determination from the federal government. Putin expressed concern in December that the foundations might go away too lots of Russia’s prime athletes “cut out” of the Games.
Influential gymnastics coach Valentina Rodionenko has informed Russian media that Russia shouldn’t enter World Cups until the standards are relaxed. International Gymnastics Federation data present it’s granted “neutral” standing to 30 folks from Belarus together with athletes, coaches and officers, however no Russians.
There are additionally no Russians anticipated to compete on the world swimming championships in Qatar subsequent month, a key Olympic qualifier, although Belarus is about to ship 5 swimmers.
The Russian governing our bodies for gymnastics and swimming didn’t reply to a request for touch upon whether or not any functions had been filed for his or her athletes.
Russia has skipped Olympic weightlifting qualifiers in protest at a requirement to signal a declaration which features a pledge “to abstain from expressing any support to the war.” Belarus has competed in these occasions.
Track and discipline by no means lifted its ban on Russian athletes. The IOC is obstructing Russia and Belarus from staff sports activities resembling soccer, basketball or volleyball as a result of it argues their involvement must be in “individual” occasions solely, not as a part of squads representing the nation. Tennis doubles or two-particular person rowing crews is perhaps authorised, although.
UKRAINE’S CONCERNS
Are sports activities federations following the foundations? Ukraine says no.
More than 200 Ukrainian athletes together with prime soccer participant Mykhailo Mudryk and excessive soar world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh signed an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron this month alleging three Russians who certified for the Olympics as “neutrals” expressed assist for the struggle.
“Allowing athletes from aggressor countries, who openly support Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, violates the fundamental ethical principles declared by the Olympic Charter,” the letter mentioned.
Ukraine nonetheless opposes the IOC push for Russians to compete as neutrals however in July it dropped a coverage that pressured Ukrainian athletes to boycott occasions somewhat than compete towards them.
Two Olympic gold medalists in taekwondo accused of posting on social media in assist of the struggle had been handed a “probation period” of three months by World Taekwondo however allowed to compete after that. United World Wrestling let three Olympic champions from Russia participate in its world championships as a result of it judged they’d been pressured into showing at a professional-struggle rally in Moscow attended by Putin.
SWITCHING NATIONALITY
At least some athletes from Russia — and who competed for Russia earlier than the struggle — could possibly be in Paris on the host French staff.
There’s European swimming champion Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, who switched allegiance from Russia to France in April, and Moscow-born Varvara Gracheva, who began representing France in June and has turn into France’s second-highest ranked tennis participant.
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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed.
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AP Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
