IOC President Thomas Bach has reaffirmed his support for Ukrainian athletes. And the existing sanctions against Russia and Belarus confirmed for the future.
IOC President Thomas Bach wants to leave the sanctions against Russia and Belarus in place
“Also in the new year, the Ukrainian athletes can count on the full commitment of solidarity from the IOC and the entire Olympic movement,” wrote Bach in his New Year's greeting: “We want a strong team from the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina 2026.”
At the same time, Bach again underlined the position of the Rings organization towards Russia, which had launched the war of aggression against Ukraine three days after the closing ceremony of the Winter Games in Beijing, and its supporters Belarus. “The sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments must and will remain in place,” said the 69-year-old.
These include: no organization or support of international sporting events in Russia or Belarus. In addition, no national symbols of these countries may be shown at sporting events or meetings.
Bach backtracks
At the beginning of December, Bach was still open to discussing the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the promoted world sport. “They cannot be punished for the actions of their governments. We are investigating ways to enable their participation,” Bach said after the meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.
Despite the circumstances, the IOC boss with “hope and optimism” for the coming year: “The support from all walks of life for our peace mission shows: The power of sport as a force for good in the world is widely recognized – and it is needed more than ever .”
jst/rb (dpa/sid)