Britain lobbies Olympic sponsors over IOC’s Russia stance

11.03.2023 - 04:19 arabnews.com

LONDON: The British government has written to the Olympics’ biggest sponsors urging them to pressure the International Olympic Committee over its stance of allowing athletes from Russia back into competition.

Most Olympic sports have excluded athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus since shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The IOC initially recommended excluding them on safety grounds but now says keeping the restrictions would be discriminatory. “We know sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are heavily intertwined, and we are determined that the regimes in Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to use sport for their propaganda purposes,” British Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer wrote to 13 of the Olympics’ biggest sponsors including Airbnb, Visa and Samsung.

Britain was one of 35 countries which signed a statement last month criticizing the IOC plans to allow Russians and Belarusians to return to competition ahead of qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics as neutral athletes without national symbols.

Premier League soccer Eddie Howe Callum Wilson Alexandre Lacazette Paris Olympics Britain Russia Qatar Ukraine Belarus Newcastle Memphis

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals is not binding for Paris' 2024 Olympics, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said on Thursday. IOC recommendations were "a step which does not pre-judge what we will do" for Paris 2024, Oudea-Castera told reporters on a visit near Paris. "If the international federations decide that there will be participation by individual athletes, it will be under a strict neutrality regime, without a Russian flag or the national anthem," she added. Voices from western governments, civil society and athletes have been raised against allowing any Russian participation in the Games following Moscow's invasion last year of neighbour Ukraine.

No quick Paralympics decision on Russia, Belarus athletes

The International Paralympic Committee has no plans to review the status of Russia for months after the IOC laid out its preferred formula for Russian athletes to return to competition.

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Adam Peaty is to step back from competing due to mental health concerns, but he aims to be ready for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The British swimming legend, a three-time Olympic champion and eight-time world champion who has broken multiple world records, said it was «important to be honest» about his struggles and that the decision had been driven by feeling «tired» and «not enjoying the sport as I have done for the last decade». Ad Peaty released the news via his social media accounts, and his statement began with an unattributed quote, which read: “Everyone wants to sit in your seat until they have to sit in your seat.

IOC Backs Return Of Russian Athletes As Individuals, No Timeline For Paris Olympics

Olympic chiefs on Tuesday recommended the return to competition of Russian and Belarusian athletes as individual neutrals, but refused to give a timeline on their potential participation at next year's Paris Olympics. IOC president Thomas Bach said the body's Executive Board had recommended to international federations and international sports event organisers that "athletes with a Russian or a Belarusian passport must compete only as Individual Neutral Athletes".

Kremlin says IOC rules allowing Russians to compete as neutrals are discriminatory

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the International Olympic Committee's guidelines that allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions as neutrals contain "elements of discrimination."

Kremlin says IOC rules on Russian participation are discriminatory

:The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the International Olympic Committee's guidelines that allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions as neutrals contain "elements of discrimination".