The President of the Russian Diving Federation, Stanislav Druzhinin, argued that the Olympic conditions proposed by the International Olympic Committee for Russian participation in the 2024 Games cannot be met. He described them as incompatible with what he called the traditions of Soviet sport and warned that the federation would not send athletes under those terms.
According to Druzhinin, the proposal would require selecting athletes who are not members of primary law enforcement or sports organizations such as CSKA, Dynamo, or the Ministry of Defense, and he stressed that Russia is home to top competitors within its strongest clubs. The federation intends to preserve the integrity and composition of its national teams, and it does not intend to compete under what it sees as restrictive, nonstandard criteria.
There was a stated distinction that, going forward, Russian athletes who achieve high rankings in their respective disciplines may be eligible to participate, subject to the IOC’s framework and neutral status rules. This position reflects a broader conversation within international sport about how teams from Russia can engage in global events while addressing policy concerns tied to broader geopolitical developments.
Historically, the IOC signaled in 2022, in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, that Russian participation in many international events might be curtailed. Then-president Thomas Bach indicated a preference for excluding Russian athletes from certain sports during that period. In early 2023, the IOC confirmed it was examining the possibility of allowing Russian competitors to participate in a neutral capacity, provided they did not publicly support the conflict.
Looking ahead to the Paris Olympic Games, the event is scheduled to run from July 26 to August 11, 2024, a timeline that frames how national federations assess eligibility and readiness for participation under evolving guidelines.
Statements from Ukrainian diplomatic channels also contributed to the ongoing debate about Russia’s admission to the Games, highlighting how political considerations continue to shape decisions about athletes’ eligibility on a global stage. [Source: Reuters]