The President of Poland called the suspension of Russian athletes a “burden” for them

Sanctions against athletes from Russia are “a burden that they must bear with courage.” This opinion was expressed by Sportowe Fakty, Polish President Andrzej Duda.

At the same time, Duda said that athletes from the Russian Federation “bear a certain responsibility” for Russia.

“Of course, someone will say that it’s not their fault. Not theirs, but they are Russian athletes, and, to my regret, because of this, they also bear a certain responsibility for their country, for their banner, flag and anthem” , – said the President of Poland.

He added that Russian athletes allegedly enjoy “various benefits” that the Russian Federation provides them. Andrzej Duda also believes that athletes from Russia “should not demand participation in international tournaments.”

“We can say that people enjoy various benefits. <...> But life is such that you not only enjoy great benefits, but also bear burdens. Today, Russia is a burden for them, and they must courageously bear this burden without demanding participation in international sporting events.” concluded the Polish President.

Recall that in February 2022, against the backdrop of the start of a special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the IOC recommended that international sports federations ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions. Almost a year later, on January 25, the executive committee of the committee spoke in favor of the return of athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus, but in a neutral status. An exception can be made only by those athletes who support CBO.

So, according to the head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, the removal of athletes on the basis of their passports does not correspond to the values ​​​​of the Olympic Charter.

Representatives of the organizing committee of the 2024 Olympic Games announced that they would comply with the sanctions imposed by the IOC against athletes from Russia and Belarus. Even the organization emphasized that the selection system for the Olympics is determined not by the organizing committee, but by the IOC and international federations.

In Russia, they condemned the interference of politicians in the affairs of athletes. The Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin said earlier that attempts to dictate the conditions for the participation of athletes in international competitions are unacceptable.

The Summer Olympics in Paris will take place from July 26 to August 11 next year.