The body had already said it explored the means to reintegrate them, but the Asian Olympic Council took an additional step by proposing on Friday to “facilitate their participation” in the competitions organized “under his authority”.
MO12345LEMONDE
Will Russian and Belarusian athletes be gradually reinstated in Olympic competitions? A year and a half of the Paris Games, the International Olympic Committee (CIO) said it was considering it on Friday, December 9, without however setting a due date.
These are only a question of avenues debated during the 11 e Olympic summit, which brought together in the morning, in Lausanne, the members of the IOC and the representatives of international federations, athletes and national or continental Olympic committees.
The IOC had already said on Wednesday “explore the means” to reintegrate the Russians and the Belarusses, banned since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, but the Olympic Council of Asia, the OCA, took a Additional by proposing Friday to “facilitate their participation” in organized competitions “under its authority”, according to final declaration of the Olympic Summit .
“The reasons no longer exist”
Since the end of February, the Olympic body has hammered that the ban of athletes is not a “sanction”, since they have no direct responsibility in the invasion, but a “measure of Protection “of competitions and their own safety, taken” the heavy heart “and contrary to the values of universality of sport. However, according to the OCA, “on the Asian continent”, where the conflict in Ukraine mobilizes much less than in Europe, “the reasons for these protection measures no longer exist”.
The IOC has not yet decided anything, but the representatives of several international federations have “praised” the OCA proposal, believing that there should be no more solution for all “. The delegates gathered in Lausanne, on the other hand, confirmed the maintenance of the “sanctions” taken against the Russian and Belarusian authorities for having violated the Olympic truce, which prohibit any international competition on their soil and the presence of their flags like their hymns As part of competitions.