IOC cites support from 120 countries for Russians to try to compete in Olympics
The International Olympic Committee on Friday cited the support of 120 countries for its move to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The statement from the Azerbaijan-chaired Non-Aligned Movement of Nations said it would be “a strong symbol of the unity of humanity” if all 206 national Olympic teams compete in Paris next year.
“Thank you to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for taking the initiative for this important resolution,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement.
The Non-Aligned Movement document was published after a two-day meeting in Baku. Members include most countries in Africa and the Middle East, India and Singapore, plus Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela. Belarus is also a member.
The statement “emphasizes that sport should not be politicized,” said the Non-Aligned Movement, whose four-year presidency by Azerbaijan ends this year.
Azerbaijan has hit its own sports teams with political and security barriers to organize safe games. Since 2007, the European football body UEFA has prevented teams from Azerbaijan and Armenia from being drawn to play against each other in international competitions due to the countries’ longstanding territorial dispute.
Ukrainian and Russian teams have also been separated by UEFA since 2014 due to security concerns after Russia annexed Crimea in violation of international law.
The IOC also pushed for a policy of isolation days after the start of the war in the week of the conclusion of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. It has since pushed for reintegration, arguing it would be discrimination to exclude athletes from only because of their Russian or Belarusian passport.
Other Olympic sports, including cycling and tennis, have allowed individual athletes to continue to compete. Major summer games, sports gymnastics and swimming weigh their decisions ahead of world championships that could be qualifying events for Paris.
