THE head of Russia’s Olympic Committee denounced as unacceptable” on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) criteria announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) intended to enable Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in international competitions.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus, Moscow’s ally, were banned from competition following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine last year, but the rules announced at the IOC’s Lausanne headquarters seek to allow a gradual return to world sport.
Stanislav Pozdnyakov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, told a news conference that he opposed any notion of Russian and Belarusian athletes competing as neutrals with no use of flags or anthems allowed.
He also denounced the imposition of additional anti-doping procedures for Russian competitors– a measure linked to previous doping scandals.
“The parameters as announced are absolutely unacceptable. This is discrimination on the basis of nationality, as repeatedly noted by international human rights specialists…,” Pozdnyakov told a news conference, a video clip of which was posted on his Telegram account.
