Russian State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova commented on the absence of Russian flags at tennis tournaments, stating that this was done to please politicians. “Sports Express”.
Zhurova reminded that an athlete can compete under the national flag until a certain age, since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not implement its recommendations for children.
“On the one hand, there may be an age related to the flag, but others are not at that age anymore. People understand that this is ridiculous. This is done to please politicians, but certainly not for the majority of people in the world,” Zhurova added.
At the end of February 2022, the IOC issued a call to international sports federations and recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be allowed to participate in any competitions.
The IOC said Russian athletes will have to sign updated conditions for participation in the Olympics, which include a commitment to respect the Olympic Charter, including the “peaceful mission of the Olympic movement”. Russian athletes who rank well in their disciplines will be allowed to compete.
Previously Sergei Lavrov accused IOC President for betraying the ideals of Olympism.