IOC President Bach’s Ukraine Visit Stance and 2024 Olympic Boycott Talks

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) leadership, led by President Thomas Bach, has declined to visit Ukraine again despite an invitation extended by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The IOC maintains that Bach previously travelled to Ukraine in the summer of 2022, at the invitation of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee. During that trip, he connected with athletes affected by the ongoing conflict, witnessed the damage to sports facilities, and had a direct discussion with Zelensky. After that engagement, the two leaders spoke by phone, and the IOC spokesperson affirmed that there are no immediate plans for a future visit to the country.

In late January, Zelensky publicly responded to an IOC statement about the possible return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition by inviting Bach to Bakhmut, known in Russian as Artemovsk. This invitation signaled Ukraine’s continued interest in engaging with the IOC on the participation of athletes from those nations in the Olympic arena.

On February 3, Verkhovna Rada deputy and former Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic champion Jean Beleniuk indicated that the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine would convene its General Assembly to discuss whether Ukraine should boycott the 2024 Olympic Games. The move would reflect Ukraine’s broader stance on athletes competing under the flags of certain countries amid the ongoing conflict and political tensions in the region.

Earlier, on February 2, the IOC stated that Ukraine’s threat to boycott the 2024 Olympic Games did not align with the Olympic Charter. The organization emphasized that boycotts or threats of withdrawal run counter to the principles of Olympic participation and the inclusive spirit of the Games. [Attribution: IOC communications] The evolving dialogue underscores the delicate balance between national sport policy and the universal values promoted by the Olympic Movement, with stakeholders continuing to monitor developments and seek avenues for constructive dialogue among athletes, national committees, and international sport bodies. [Source attribution: IOC updates]

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