Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser calls on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the world sports associations to consistently enforce the requirements when admitting Russians and Belarusians to the Olympics.
The SPD politician said it was about checking very carefully that Russian and Belarusian individual athletes would be consistently excluded if they supported the Russian war of aggression in any way or had any connection to the Russian government and the Russian military. “The IOC bears responsibility for the decision that has now been made,” she emphasized.
The IOC had decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes could take part in the Olympic Games in Paris as neutral athletes. The umbrella organization granted individual athletes from both countries permission to compete in the 2024 Summer Games under certain conditions, provided they meet the qualification conditions. As with the return to international competitions, the condition is that Russians and Belarusians are only allowed to take part in Paris under a neutral flag. Teams are not permitted. This means that the starters from Russia and Belarus are not allowed to play their national anthem at the Olympics in Paris, and national symbols and flags are also prohibited for them.
“The fact that Russian teams remain excluded and flags and symbols are prohibited is the absolute minimum that we could expect from the International Olympic Committee,” explained the Federal Interior Minister, who is also responsible for sport. And further: “It would be completely unreasonable for Ukrainian athletes to have to compete against Russians who support the Russian war of aggression against their country.”
