The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russian athletes to participate in the 2018 Olympics under a neutral flag. This was reported on the IOC website.
The Russians at the 2018 Olympics will be presented as "Olympic athletes from Russia" (OAR), the IOC notes. They will compete in sports uniform with this inscription and under Olympic flag... During the awards ceremony, the Olympic anthem will be played, not the Russian one. The final decision on the admission of the Russian athlete will be made by a special commission of representatives of WADA, DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit) and the IOC.
Former Minister of Sports of Russia Vitaly Mutko and his former deputy Yuri Nagornykh are forever barred from participating in all future Olympics in any capacity, according to the IOC. Former general director of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko (aka the general director of Gazprom-Media) from the coordination commission of the 2022 Winter Olympics, the same source says. And that's not all: not a single employee of the Ministry of Sports of Russia will be able to be accredited for the 2018 Olympics, and Alexander Zhukov, President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), has been barred from participating in the IOC.
In addition, the IOC ROC donate $ 15 million to create a global anti-doping system. The ROC will have to reimburse the IOC for the costs incurred by the committee due to investigations related to the use of doping by Russian athletes.
The IOC's decision was taken by consensus, said IOC President Thomas Bach, Interfax reports.
The neutral flag (also called white) is the five-ring Olympic flag. Russian athletes have already played under a neutral flag - as part of the joint team in 1992 at the Winter Olympics in Albertville and Summer Games in Barcelona. Then the united team included athletes from the former republics of the USSR, which disintegrated in December 1991. The team was unofficially called the “CIS national team”. On summer Olympics she took first place in the general medal standings, and at the winter - the second, winning olympic gold hockey.
Reaction
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov did not answer a question from Vedomosti whether the Kremlin would give recommendations to Russian athletes regarding their participation or non-participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics on the terms proposed by the IOC.
Earlier, the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov that the Kremlin will remain silent until the official decision of the IOC. The possibility of boycotting the Olympics is not being discussed, Peskov noted.
A representative of Channel One declined to comment on whether the channel will now broadcast the 2018 Olympics. VGTRK confirmed that it will not show the Olympics without the national team. The representative of Gazprom-Media (runs the sports channel Match-TV) said that the Olympics without Russian athletes would not be so interesting to the audience, and declined to comment further.
Background
At the meeting on the admission of Russia to the IOC Olympics, to consider the conclusions of two commissions that were created to study the data of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on doping in Russian sports... One, under the leadership of Swiss lawyer Denis Oswald, is rechecking doping samples from the Sochi 2014 Olympics. The other is investigating the involvement of the Russian Ministry of Sports in the doping system in Russia.
In mid-November, WADA was in force to disqualify the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which had its accreditation revoked in 2015. One of the main requirements for Russia is to unconditionally recognize the findings of the McLaren Commission on the existence of a state doping system. The Russian side did not fulfill it. Russian President Vladimir Putin blames Russia with the upcoming elections.
How it all started
Three years ago - in December 2014 - the German TV channel ARD released documentary Top Secrets of Doping: How Russia Produces Its Winners. In it, the former chief specialist of RUSADA Vitaly Stepanov and his wife Yulia Stepanova, disqualified in 2013 for doping, talked about several cases of use by athletes from Russia. Thereafter, WADA set up a commission of inquiry in early 2015. The first results of the work were published in November 2015: the commission concluded that the All-Russian federation of light Athletics, RUSADA and Russia generally do not comply with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Code. It was then that WADA revoked RUSADA's accreditation.
After this report, another investigation of the use of doping by Russian athletes began - it was conducted by a commission led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. The first part was published in July 2016, the second in December of the same year. Then the commission concluded that in Russia at least from 2012 to 2015 there was a state doping program. For example, on the test tubes with doping samples of Russian athletes, they found scratches, and in the biomaterial - an increased content of salt or DNA of another person. Athletes' analyzes were swapped between 2012 and 2014, including at the Sochi Olympics, according to the McLaren report. These manipulations took place under the control of the Ministry of Sports and the FSB of Russia, it is said in the same place.
WADA's chief informant in the doping case in Russian sports, whose testimony formed the basis of McLaren's report, is the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory. In 2016, he moved to the United States, and in May gave an interview to The New York Times: he said that he participated in the swapping of about 100 urine samples of Russian athletes during the 2014 Olympics, and also admitted that he himself had developed a cocktail of three anabolic steroids for Russian athletes, which they hosted at the Olympics.
It was adopted on Tuesday at a meeting of the executive committee of the organization.
The IOC is ready to admit Russian athletes representing both personal and team sports to the Games, but only under the Olympic flag. Now it is up to the Russian side - whether Russia will accept the terms of the IOC will be decided at the Olympic meeting on December 12.
What do you think?
"Individual Russian athletes will be able to participate in the Games in Pyeongchang under the name" Olympic Athletes of Russia "and will compete in this uniform and under the Olympic flag, the Olympic anthem will be played at the awards ceremonies. None of the members of the Russian Ministry of Sports will be invited to the Games." with these words, the head of the IOC began his speech, perhaps at the most significant press conference in the history of the organization.
The IOC made a decision based on the work of two commissions, one of which - led by - was engaged in rechecking doping samples of Russian athletes from the Sochi Olympics. As a result of her work, Russia lost 11 awards and lost first place in the team competition. The second commission, headed by ex-Swiss President Samuel Schmid, checked information about possible government interference in the Russian anti-doping system. Both commissions began work after an investigation led by the swapping of doping samples of Russian athletes.
The results of the work of the Schmid commission were first announced on Tuesday in Lausanne. The Commission confirmed "systemic manipulation of doping during the Sochi Olympics," but "did not find any documented, independent and unbiased evidence of support or awareness of the" doping system "by the highest state authorities of the Russian Federation.
According to Samuel Schmid, such conclusions are based on various sources. "I want to emphasize that the conclusions of our commission are based not only on the testimony of Grigory Rodchenkov, but also on other sources, evidence of correspondence, exchange of letters. There are also other types of evidence. On the basis of these facts, our commission made an appropriate decision. Our commission made a decision, that there was systematic manipulation anti-doping rules at the Games in Sochi, "Schmid said.
"We have never encountered manipulation of this magnitude, and this led to the fact that unprecedented damage was caused to the Olympic movement," added the head of the IOC commission.
Who is being punished?
Olympic Committee Russia has been disqualified, and membership in the IOC of the president, who also ceased to be the head of the coordination commission of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, was also suspended. The head of the organizing committee of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi was removed from the same commission.
Also, the ROC should contribute 15 million dollars to the IOC for the development of the global anti-doping system. "The ROC must reimburse the costs incurred by the IOC for the investigation and contribute $ 15 million to the Independent Doping Testing Organization (ITA) to create a coherent anti-doping system," the IOC said in a release.
OCD may be restored before Pyeongchang games close
The principal point is the possible restoration of the ROC membership in the IOC even before the closure of the Olympics in Pyeongchang. Thus, the Russians, having started their performance as "Olympic Athletes of Russia", can, on the last day of the Games, go to the closing ceremony under their own flag and hear the Russian anthem.
"The IOC may partially or completely lift the suspension from the ROC by the beginning of the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, provided that all requirements for the ROC, participants in the 2018 Games and officials are met," the IOC said in a release.
"We expect that already at the closing ceremony in Pyeongchang, our the team will pass under the Russian flag, and on this we will generally close this topic, turn this page forever, "the head noted.
Who will be allowed in?
According to the decision of the IOC, only those athletes who have not previously been accused of using doping will be able to take part in the Olympics. At the same time, the decision on who will go to the Olympics will be made by a special commission, which will be headed by the head of ITA Valerie Fourneiron. One commissioner will be appointed by WADA, one by the DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit) and one by the IOC (Richard Budgett, Head of the IOC Medical Department).
Athletes who have qualified for the competition, have not been disqualified or suspended for anti-doping rule violations, and have passed doping testing recommended by the working group will be eligible to participate in the Games.
Also in Pyeongchang, the redistribution of medals from the 2014 Olympics in Sochi will take place, it will be carried out during the corresponding ceremonies during the Games. "As a former athlete, I express my deepest regrets and sympathies to all" clean "athletes who suffered during the manipulation. The redistribution of medals will be carried out during the corresponding ceremonies at the Games in Pyeongchang," Bach said.
First Russian assessment
“The IOC has made an important and controversial decision, which has positive and negative sides,” Zhukov said. “The IOC allowed all 'clean' athletes from Russia in all sports. Olympic athletes Russia. Negative sides- our athletes are invited to perform under the Olympic flag and without an anthem. True, this limitation extends to last day Olympiads. It is assumed that all restrictions will be lifted until the last day of the Olympics, and then Russian athletes will be able to attend the ceremony under their own flag. "
“The key point is that all sanctions against Russia, all investigations are stopped from this moment. This decision has no precedents in Olympic history... It's tough. But I think that the performance of our skater in front of the members of the IOC Executive Committee played a role. To all Russian teams allowed to participate, "- added the head of the ROC.
The IOC announced its decision, now it is up to the Russian side to take the floor. "The sports community will have to discuss the decision at the Olympic meeting on December 12, discuss it with the participation of all athletes, coaches and make its own decision on the terms of participation in the Olympics," Zhukov said.
"The Olympic boycott has never led to any results. I see no reason for a boycott on the part of Russian athletes, since we allow" clean "athletes to participate, and this will show the presence of" clean "athletes in the Russian Federation. These" clean "athletes can to build bridges with the future of "pure" sports "- said Bach.
The International Olympic Committee has suspended the Russian team from participating in the 2018 Olympics in South Korean Pyeongchang. Russian athletes will be able to take part in the Games only if certain conditions are met. In particular, the Athlete must not have been previously disqualified or found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation. In addition, the athlete must pass all tests recommended by the panel.
Thus, athletes who did not participate in the Games in Sochi, but were convicted of doping earlier, will not be able to compete at the Olympics. They will be forced to perform under a neutral flag, and instead of the anthem of Russia they will listen to the anthem of the Olympics. We offer the reaction of athletes and functionaries to the decision of the IOC. By the way, most of them are in favor of giving innocent and "pure" athletes an opportunity to fight for the main award in world sports.
Alexander Zubkov, President of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation
“Everything went to the fact that our athletes would be allowed to the Olympics in a neutral status. Now the athletes themselves have to decide whether or not to go to the Games in South Korea... The Bobsleigh Federation leadership will help those athletes who want to compete in Pyeongchang. This is unambiguous. "
Alexander Zhukov, head of the Russian Olympic Committee
“Russian athletes are invited to perform at the Olympics under a neutral flag and without singing the anthem. True, this restriction applies only until the last day of the Olympics. Russian athletes will be able to sail under the Russian flag together with all the athletes from the rest of the world. "
Ilya Kovalchuk, hockey player
“We, athletes, are out of politics. For us it will be a responsible tournament, it will not be any different from others. Patriotism, love for the country are in our hearts. You don’t have to shout or even wear a flag on your chest. flag and anthem, but did not take away honor and conscience! We know that we are Russians, that we represent the best country in the world. I think that our fans will support us even more. And we will try to do everything to meet the expectations of the people. "
Elena Berezhnaya, Russian figure skater and Olympic champion
“The decision of the IOC to remove the Russian national team from participation in the Olympics has nothing to do with sports. Athletes prepare for this all their lives, and then suddenly the IOC will deprive everyone of the opportunity to compete. Each athlete must decide for himself whether he can play under a neutral flag The Russian authorities will not prohibit Russian athletes from participating in the Olympics, it is nevertheless necessary to separate politics and sports. "
Tatiana Tarasova, coach
"The IOC did everything that they could do with such persecution. They allowed our clean athletes under their flag. I believe that Russian athletes should go under the IOC flag, where it will be written that they are Russian athletes."
Evgeny Kafelnikov, tennis player
"Our athletes need to go to the 2018 Games one hundred percent. If I was an active athlete, I would still go. Even if Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin said that all Olympians should not participate, I would still go. I would not listen to the president. . The Olympics are more than a president. "
Alexey Voevoda, bobsledder
"From the position of the state, it is impossible to go to such Games. From the position of an athlete, again, you can understand some individual athlete who wants to go. We are all individual. But I will be proud of those who will not go."
Alexander Tikhonov, four times Olympic champion biathlon
“Everything was predictable. About 10 years ago I personally predicted in the building of the Olympic Committee, said from the rostrum:“ The day will come when we disgrace the whole country. ”This day has come. It all started with harmless meldonium, and I warned. IOC decision - This is Mutko's fault 99 percent. His fault that Rodchenkov fled. "
Vasily Utkin, commentator
"And the country is represented by people. And they are the most valuable that the country has. Not a flag that has changed four times in a hundred years, and not an anthem - how many times? .. A piece of the most beautiful fabric and the sounds of the very music itself will not present us like this like our people. Send athletes to the Olympics. "
Anton Babikov, biathlete
"It is difficult to say an opinion. Maybe it will still be deformed. I just think that in this situation this is a natural result. It was difficult to expect that we would be allowed as others. The main thing is to compete at this Olympics. We will remain Russian athletes even without a flag. ".
Georgy Cherdantsev, commentator
"To go to the Olympics and vomit everyone, especially the Norwegian asthmatics. Most importantly, we know that ours are ours. We don't need a flag for a clue."
Sergey Chepikov, two-time Olympic champion in biathlon
“Speaking from the perspective of athletes, it seems to me that they have a desire to compete at these Olympic Games even under a neutral flag. I think that if everything is within the bounds of decency and there is no humiliation of the Russian side, then the authorities will not mind our athletes going to the Olympics. My opinion is that there is no need to prohibit athletes from competing under a neutral flag. eyes are their goal sports career, they prepared, ran and drove many kilometers and are aimed at conquering the summit. We need to give them a chance for self-realization. "
Irina Rodnina, Olympic champion, State Duma deputy
"Guys, sorry, we could not protect."
Franz Klintsevich, member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation
"There is a continuation of Russophobia, an attempt to humiliate Russia, put it in its place, ignore common sense and force Russian athletes to betray their country, to perform under a neutral flag. There is too much temptation for every athlete today to perform independently, ignoring the country. I am categorically against this, I have never betrayed the country. "
Dmitry Navosha, journalist
"My personal opinion: even if everything in the McLaren report, Rodchenkov's confessions, the Stepanovs' stories, etc. is true, in two years this story could have been sorted out by admitting the problem and declaring a clear plan for its solution. OI-18 would be enough. "
Vitaly Prokhorov, hockey player, Olympic champion
"If you go under a neutral flag, who will pay for all this? This is an important question. The FHR must decide first. Secondly, the Ministry of Sports or the government. But it will be the other way around. Athletes do not decide anything here, they are all controlled and will do that. what they will be told. It is clear that if our hockey team will go - everyone will understand that this is the Russian national team. If all issues are resolved and the state agrees to send the national team, then the victory will, of course, be Russian. But the medals will not be Russian. And it will look absurd. "
At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee, held on December 5, it was decided to suspend the Russian national team from participating in the 2018 Games. At the same time, athletes who were not noticed in the use of doping were allowed to compete under a neutral flag - in the status of "Olympians from Russia". The IOC will also cover all costs of the participation of our athletes.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian authorities will not interfere with the participation of athletes in the Olympics in a neutral status. A similar statement was made by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vitaly Mutko, against whom sanctions were imposed at the same meeting, he is banned for life from attending the Olympics as an official.
As a result, the final decision on participation must be made by each athlete himself. And opinions are divided here. Someone considers performing under a neutral flag humiliating for themselves, others are sure that they need to go to the end and show what Russian athletes are capable of. POLITSIBRU asked the experts for their opinion.
"Sport must win"
Alexander Prokopyev, Deputy of the State Duma from the Altai Territory, member of the Committee on physical culture, sports, tourism and youth affairs:
“The IOC has made a decision. Many people call it a political provocation, they even talk about a possible boycott. Emotions are off the charts, but you need to pull yourself together and make an informed decision. On Friday, the State Duma will discuss a draft response statement. Now we are preparing a translation of the IOC decision. This is a legal document, precise wording is important, every word has a meaning. I think that sport should win in any case. And if athletes want to take part in the Olympics, they need to be given such an opportunity. We will be proud of their victories. "
"Doping controllers won't let them live in peace"
Tatiana Ilyuchenko, Honored Master of Sports of Russia in cross-country skiing, medalist of the 2002 Paralympic Games, winner and medalist of the 2006 Paralympic Games, deputy of the regional Legislative Assembly, Chairman of the Committee on Social Policy:
“I believe that our athletes should participate in any case. Even if they are performing under a neutral flag, everyone knows that these are Russian athletes. The only thing is that there will be serious pressure on the guys. Doping controllers will not let them live in peace. However, we have seen at the World Cup athletics, when our federation was not allowed, and athletes, including Sergei Shubenkov, showed serious results and everyone knew that they were Russian athletes. What is happening as a whole resembles a comedy of the absurd, such a priori should not be in the Olympic movement. "
Natalia Kuvshinova, State Duma deputy from the Altai Territory, member of the Committee on Physical Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs:
“The decision of the IOC seriously undermines the credibility of Olympic Movement... On behalf of the relevant State Duma committee, we have already requested a decision of the IOC, a translation. Meetings with representatives of all factions, with the committee on international affairs will be held today and tomorrow. Then the final decision will be submitted to the plenary session of the State Duma, and on Friday morning it will be considered, each faction will be able to express its position and a corresponding appeal will be adopted based on the results. Whether or not our athletes participate in the Olympics should ask those responsible for this decision, for this it is worth waiting for the decision of the ROC on December 12 on this issue. "
"This is the business of every athlete"
Vladimir Alt, Head of the Center sports training and the head of the Olympic Council of the Altai Territory ":
“I believe that this is the business of every athlete. The problem is this: athletes can be told: “Fly as you want”, meaning the cash costs. In addition, there are a number of MPs who are in favor of not participating in the Games. But if we boycott them, then we will have to skip two Olympic cycles. So boycotting is the worst option. Athletes should be given the right to participate, especially "clean". Shubenkov's situation in London was even more complicated. Then even ringtones with the Russian anthem were banned. But he spoke, everyone remembered him, they even gave bonuses later. Therefore, participation in the Games, I think, will only benefit the athletes. I don’t see such tough restrictions as they were at the World Championships in Athletics ”.
In recent months, many sports fans have been interested in the question: “ will Russia participate in the 2018 Olympics?»
On December 5, 2017, the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a decision remove the Russian national team from the 2018 Winter Olympics years in Pyeongchang.
This means that athletes from the Russian national team will not be able to participate in the Olympics under the Russian flag. They can go to the Olympics in a special status - "Olympic athlete from Russia", ie OAR (Olympic Athlete from Russia). And, of course, only those athletes who have a pure doping history will be allowed.
Russia is the first country in more than a century in the history of the Olympic Games to be suspended for doping... And there is clearly nothing to be proud of. By the way, the decision was made a long time ago, and on December 5, 2017, only an official confirmation took place.
The main reason was manipulation of doping samples at the Olympic Games in Russia, which took place in Sochi in 2014.
The Russian Olympic Committee was disqualified, and Vitaly Mutko was banned from attending any Olympics ... indefinitely. The ROC was also fined $ 15 million.
Alas, such a decision by the IOC is a shame for our country. Let's let you down the results of the IOC Executive Committee of December 5, 2017:
- OCD suspended from the Olympic Games.
- Russian athletes can participate in the Olympic Games, but not all of them. Those who will participate will do so in the OAR status - without a flag, without an anthem, without a Motherland.
- Officials from the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation will not be accredited for the Olympics in Pyeongchang.
- Vitaly Mutko and Nagornykh received a "life ban" to participate in the Olympic Games ... everyone that will ever take place.
- Dmitry Chernyshenko, who was supposed to become a member of the Coordinating Commission for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, will not be.
- Alexander Zhukov, head of the Russian Olympic Committee, was expelled from the IOC.
- Any facts on the same topic (doping) that come up later may also lead to sanctions.
- The Russian Olympic Committee is obliged to contribute to the creation of the "Independent Testing Authority" and to pay for the IOC investigation. All in all - 15 million US dollars.
- Any lifting of sanctions is possible only after the end of the 2018 Olympics.
Got it, ladies and gentlemen. Russia is left without the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. Now there is a very acute question of what the athletes will do - will they go in the OAR status or ignore the 2018 Olympics.
Now there is a flash mob " No Russia, no Games" v social networks with hashtag #NoRussiaNoGames. Many people really do not want to see our athletes, and consider their desire to compete without a flag as a shame. In any case, we propose not to strictly judge those who will go, because for most athletes, the peak of their form lasts only a few years, so they simply may not have another chance.