The International Olympic Committee (IOC) welcomed in a statement attention to sport in the G7 Heads of State and Government Statement on Ukraine issued at the summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
The IOC is delighted that, in its text, the G7 “fully respects the autonomy of sports organisations” and stresses the need for “Russian and Belarusian athletes in no way appear to represent their states”. “This is perfectly in line with the IOC’s position in this regard,” recalls for its part the authority of Lausanne.
Support “for the autonomy of sports organizations”
“The IOC strongly welcomes the support given by the G7 to the autonomy of sport and to the recommendations of the Olympic body on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian pport, only as neutral individual athletes, said IOC President Thomas Bach. This commitment to the autonomy of sports organizations comes at a crucial time when it is threatened by certain governments. That is why we are very grateful to the leaders of the G7 for this unequivocal statement. »
Beyond the text as such, this declaration removes the risk of a boycott by these great powers in the event of the presence of Russian athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.