(Courchevel) Ukrainian athletes “know how much we share their suffering”, assured Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday in Courchevel (France), in response to comments from Kyiv accusing the body of to be a “promoter of war” in Ukraine.
“It is not up to governments to decide” on the participation of certain countries in international competitions and in particular in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, added Mr. Bach, while some States are considering a boycott of the Olympic Games in the event of the presence of Russian and Belarusian sportsmen.
“I have spoken with many Ukrainian athletes in recent months, and many of them support us because they know how much we share their suffering and the efforts we are making to help them,” said the president of the CIO, present in Courchevel for the downhill of the Alpine Skiing World Championships.
“A UN Human Rights Council rapporteur told us that excluding Russian or Belarusian athletes just because of their passport is a violation of their rights,” he added.
“We have seen some statements, coming from Baltic countries or other countries, expressing their concerns. Unfortunately, they do not address the issue of human rights, which we must take seriously. »
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the next Olympics, calling again this week to “protect the Olympic charter”.
In a letter dated January 31 and revealed Thursday by the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, IOC President Thomas Bach denounced this posture as going “against the fundamentals of the Olympic movement”.
At the end of January, the IOC had set fire to the powder by proposing a roadmap to organize the return of these athletes under a neutral flag, provided that they had “not actively supported the war in Ukraine”.
“We are in discussions, but we are not yet talking about Paris [des JO 2024, NDLR] added Thomas Bach on Sunday. “We are discussing the sports competitions to be played this year. The subject of Paris will come later. »