Earlier in the week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that “the great majority” of the athletes’ representatives want Russia and Belarus to return to international competitions. news’s information indicated that Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, who spoke as head of the Norwegian sports committee, had the same message as the majority of countries, something she herself has not agreed with. – What I have done is advocate for a discussion, the former cross-country skier explained. A few hours after news published the case on Thursday, Jacobsen reacted to the presentation to VG and claimed that the statement was imprecise. Since then, several people have asked questions about what Jacobsen actually said. On Saturday, the sports committee apologized to its members for the handling of the case. “A very complex and challenging situation” news can now present the transcription of Jacobsen’s controversial post. Jacobsen has himself sent the transcription to news. The post was made in what the IOC refers to as a consultation meeting that concerned Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. news has translated the article from English to Norwegian, and you can read the original English version in the fact box below the section. “Thanks. Dear Speaker, dear President, dear all representatives. It is pleasant to gather in this type of meeting. I have spoken on behalf of the Norwegian Athletes’ Committee, which includes Olympic, Paralympic and non-Olympic sports, and wish to share a summary of our recent discussions on the very difficult topic mentioned earlier. It is a very complex and challenging situation. And, as a neighboring country of Russia, we are very aware of the intensity and brutality of the ongoing conflict. Our national media, and most of the people, have taken a clear position that they do not want to let the Russians back into the sport without being able to separate it from the sanctions and protective measures that were put in place in February in last year. And, with that background, we in the athletes’ committee decided that we would mainly hold the discussions based on the values and ethics on which the Olympic movement is based, because that is the only way forward. In our view, non-discrimination is inevitable. Our mission is to continue being a unifying force, and that should continue to be our focus. This means that no athlete should be excluded on the basis of their passport. And we want our joint sports committees to gather around our values. Next, we can discuss what kind of practical considerations need to be taken and put in place to potentially allow all athletes to the sports arena. Thanks”. English transcription of Jacobsen’s post “Thank you. Dear Madam Chair. Dear Mr President, and Dear all representatives. It’s nice to come together in this kind of meeting. I was speaking on behalf of the Norwegian Athletes’ commission, which is including Olympic, Paralympic and non-Olympic sports and I would like to express a summary of our recent discussions concerning this very difficult topic as mentioned earlier here. This is a really complex and delicate situation. And, coming from a neighboring country of Russia, we are well aware of the intensity and brutality of the ongoing conflict. Our national media, and also most of our people have taken a clear stand that they won’t let the Russians back into sport without really being able to separate the sanctions being made from the protective measures that have been taken place since February last year. And, with this backdrop we decided in the Athletes’ Commission to keep the discussion primarily based on the values and the ethics that the Olympic movement is based on, because that’s the only way going forward. In our opinion, non-discrimination is invariable. Our mission will continue to be a unifying force, and that should remain our focus. That means that no athletes should be excluded only because of their passport. And, we wish for our fellow athlete commissions to come together regarding our values. Then, secondly, we can discuss with it whatever practical needs that would need to get in place to potentially let all athletes return to the field of play. Thank you”. This is how the post that has caused a stir in recent days sounded. This was one of the entries that was taken into account when the IOC published the statement that a large majority of the athlete representatives want Russia and Belarus to return to international competitions. Jacobsen does not wish to elaborate on the content or the wording. news has applied to the International Olympic Committee for access to all recordings and text transcripts from the meeting in which Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen participated. The press office states that they cannot do that, but that the participants themselves can share their own posts. Meiner Jacobsen must choose Long-standing sports lawyer Gunnar-Martin Kjenner has read Jacobsen’s post. He believes the problem is Jacobsen’s roles: She is both head of the athletes’ committee in NIF and a member of the IOC’s athletes’ commission. – I do not doubt for a second Astrid’s ideal motive for having a principled discussion about the rights of the athletes. The problem is that she has two hats, and that in this discussion she cannot be a spokeswoman for both at the same time, says Kjenner. SPORTS LAWYER: Gunnar-Martin Kjenner. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – As a representative of the IOC, she must speak the IOC’s message, while her mandate as a representative of Norwegian athletes must advocate for the opposite position. My opinion is that Astrid must choose which of the two organizations she wants to be a spokeswoman for. She cannot represent two organizations that have such conflicting interests at the same time, he says. – What message do you think he is advocating in the post? – As an IOC representative, she believes, in my opinion, that sport should be non-political and therefore not ignore athletes for political reasons. Jacobsen has no comment on Kjenner’s opinions. Responding to arguments After the content of Jacobsen’s post became public knowledge, she sent an e-mail to Norwegian athletes to explain, but she quickly met with opposition. Nor is law professor Trond Solvang particularly impressed by Jacobsen’s argumentation. – The term is nice in its ideality, but strange, he says to news. It is this excerpt in Jacobsen’s e-mail in particular that he reacts to: “Sport has zero tolerance for discrimination. This also includes collective punishment of a group of people based on ethnicity or passport. This is in line with UN human rights. We cannot forget that in this case”. Solvang thinks it would be completely silly to use the word “punishment” in this context. – The sporting ban that is now in force is precisely not meant as a punishment according to the disciplinary rules in sport, but as a measure to safeguard the integrity of sport, by not risking being drawn as a source of income for Russian politics and aggression, he explains. The professor challenges Jacobsen on whether she believes that the IOC’s decision in principle from February 2022 was against human rights, or whether Norwegian sports’ position to ban Russian athletes from Holmenkollen in March 2022 was also a violation of human rights. I think the argument has logical flaws. Last year, the Russian football association FIFA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), due to the exclusion from the World Cup. In that case, the Russians invoked both the principle of equal treatment and human rights, but they lost the case. – This was not about discrimination, and not about “punishment” as Uhrenholdt Jacobsen uses the expression. It was about a balance in an extraordinary situation, where the governing bodies of the sport had to have access to adopt the measures that were found necessary, out of consideration for the integrity and reputation of the sport – and where the IOC’s decision in principle from February 2022 came into play, explains Solvang, who believes that these judgments show that Jacobsen’s argumentation has logical flaws: – When Uhrenholdt Jacobsen brings law and human rights into this topic, these things should be explained, otherwise the use of law and reference to human rights gives a misleading picture, he states . news has submitted Jacobsen’s judgment and opinions to Solvang, but she does not wish to comment.
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Here is the controversial post by Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
