On August 14, Richard McLaren, chairman of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), issued a statement calling for the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions.
“Their treatment is unfair.
Athletes did not initiate this conflict and are not responsible for its course. Those are two good reasons to allow them to compete internationally again.
“If the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decides in favor of the athletes, international federations will have to accept them,” he said.
At the end of February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a call to international sports federations, recommending that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be allowed to participate in any competitions.
Many organizations supported the IOC’s call: domestic athletes were denied the opportunity to participate in football, hockey, biathlon, cross country skiing, figure skating, figure and rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, basketball, volleyball and other sports.
Tennis organizations did not begin to remove Russian athletes – the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the World Tennis Association (WTA). However, according to the decision of the organizers at Wimbledon 2022, domestic athletes could not perform, as ATP and WTA deprived all participating tennis players of the opportunity to receive rating points.
Such statements by a Canadian lawyer stunned many Russian officials and athletes, because after two McLaren reports, Russia lost its national flag and anthem at major international competitions, and also lost first place in the unofficial team standings for Winter 2014. Olympics in Sochi.
Alexander Zhukov, Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), believes that the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, should follow the example of Richard McLaren and declare that Russian athletes should be admitted to international competitions.
“Did he really say that? Isn’t it fake? I didn’t expect such a statement from McLaren. The thesis that ‘sport is outside politics’ has not lost its relevance, although of course it has been violated recently.
We can now agree with McLaren’s explanation. Obviously, Russian athletes should be allowed to participate in international competitions. Now we wait for Bach to say such words. I hope the IOC changes its position, ”Match TV said of Zhukov’s words.
Dmitry Svishchev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, urged not to rejoice in advance at McLaren’s words, in an interview with a socialbites.ca correspondent.
“McLaren has always been distinguished by an anti-Russian orientation, its statements and actions were directed towards it. Therefore, I would not cover his words in good faith, ”Svishchev told socialbites.ca.
Honored coach of the USSR in figure skating Tatyana Tarasova was delighted that the world began to understand the importance of Russian athletes.
“It’s nice that such a person supports our athletes. Maybe his idea somehow influences our return to the world stage. I think the West began to understand that competitions without Russian athletes are uninteresting and inadequate, ”the statement said.
Four-time Olympic biathlon champion Alexander Tikhonov, in an interview with a socialbites.ca correspondent, noted that the Russian side should sue international sports federations, which officially announced that domestic athletes are not accepted.
“I have repeatedly said that they will come to the conclusion that the Russians should be allowed to participate in international competitions. This television, this competition. Who can compete in the international arena? Russia!
They will come and crawl on their knees! All doors will be open to us and they will apologize anyway!
I would also sue the federations that decided to drive the Russians out of the country. And do not be ashamed of it!” – said the ex-president of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU).
Tikhonov also identified five Russian sports federations that could be the first to return to world sports.
“I would really like to see the return of athletics queen of sports. Good prospects for martial arts federations – wrestling, boxing, judo. They deserve it. They have practically no violations, no doping, so I would love to look at them.
The Ski Federation, headed by Elena Vyalbe, also deserves praise and a return to international competitions,” Tikhonov told socialbites.ca.