Russian swimmer, Olympic silver medalist and World Championship bronze medalist Evgeny Korotyshkin talked about the possibility of Russian athletes participating in international competitions in neutral status. In a conversation with socialbites.ca, he called the requirements of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) a violation of athletes’ rights.
“You can discuss the neutral situation for a long time and still not reach a consensus. You know, athletes may have different decisions in different circumstances and stages of life. Our athletes already performed in a neutral status, without flags, without anthems, with bans and restrictions. It was added that athletes will no longer be able to enter the mixed zone with others.
How relevant are the IOC requirements to sports? They ban athletes affiliated with law enforcement from performing — but they’re not actually standing in the parade, they’re not agents of national security. They only play in their own sports clubs. Of course, many athletes are looking for opportunities to earn money, represent someone’s interests in competitions – without this support they cannot show high results. New demands from international organizations are a direct violation of athletes’ rights.
If the IOC continues with this discourse, firstly, it will turn into a political organization, and secondly, this is a road to nowhere. Still, the Olympic Charter was created to separate athletes into a separate category of people who represent friendship and health. And now this violation of the rights of athletes destroys the entire ideology of the Olympic movement.
Our duty now is to ensure that athletes do not lose their desire to do sports. We have seen that life does not end at the Olympics anymore. It is necessary to set new priorities and set additional tasks,” Korotyshkin emphasized.
The IOC is ready to allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in a neutral status, without a flag, anthem or any national symbols. In addition, in order for athletes to have the right to participate in the Olympics, they must declare that they refuse to support Russia’s special operation in Ukraine. They should also not be related to law enforcement agencies – the sports communities of Dynamo and CSKA, respectively.
Previously Korotyshkin named The issue of security is a priority for Russians at international tournaments.