The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has barred Russian athletes from participating in the Paris Olympics next year due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin responds by giving new life to the old Soviet project “Friendship Games”. Between 15 and 29 September 2024, 25 summer sports will be contested in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, with the aim of “ensuring Russian athletes their right to participate”. The IOC president reacts strongly to that. – The Russian government owes us for not maintaining political neutrality. At the same time, the same government is trying to organize a completely political sports event, said Thomas Bach on Monday last week during an IOC meeting in Switzerland. Here, several other IOC tops also distanced themselves from the championship, according to Inside the games. UNFRIENDS: Once IOC President Thomas Bach (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a good tone. Photographed here in 2014. Now the pipe has a different sound. Photo: AP PHOTO Sigmund Loland, professor at Norway’s Sports Academy, agrees with the IOC president. – I am clearly critical. The Russians have time and again shown a lack of respect for international sport. The state-controlled doping before and during Sochi is a clear example. For me, an Olympic event is a wholehearted and impressive attempt to bring the world together. That is what the Russians want for life. It is clearly about managing and strengthening Russia’s reputation, says Loland to news. The secretary-general of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) also directs strong criticism at the games: – This appears to be completely organized outside the framework of sport, said Olivier Niggli at a WADA board meeting last week. “Austblokka’s Olympics” The official story behind the Friendly Games has always been that there is no alternative to the Olympics. Perhaps it was a pure coincidence that they arose in the same year that the Soviet Union boycotted the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, after the USA had boycotted them in 1980. In the West, the Friendly Games were often referred to as “the Olympics of the Eastern Bloc” since it was contested in many Olympic Games branches. PROFESSOR: Sigmund Loland has been researching sports, ethics and society for a number of years. Photo: Hans Solbakken / news Loland, who has researched the ethics of sport and philosophy for three decades, believes the Friendly Games are an open countermeasure to the IOC’s policy of excluding athletes representing Russia: – It hits the IOC at a sore point. The Olympic idea is to avoid partisan political positions and bring the world together. If a competing initiative gains some support, the idea explodes. The friendlies can affect the IOC both in terms of value and practicality. He highlights how Russia has carried on the Soviet Union’s use of sports as propaganda. – Successful Russian athletes are used as examples of the superiority of the Russian system. Many are connected to the military and are paid by the state. The tradition goes back to communist Eastern Europe. Leaders actively use sporting success as internal propaganda and as an international marker. These days, the internal identification is probably particularly important. The Putin regime depends on popular support. news has tried to get a comment from the Russian embassy in Norway, initially without success. THAT TIME: During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Russian Marija Lasitskene won gold in the high jump. She represented Russia’s Olympic Committee, since Russia was banned for doping offences. Ukrainian Jaroslava Mahuchsykh captured the bronze, and the competitors celebrated together. Photo: AP Warns against participation The head of the Friendly Games, Alexey Sorokin, entices countries and athletes with high prize money: – There will be a large prize pool. We are aware of the demand from the international community for a championship that is not politicised. The Games should bring together countries that are ready to compete, regardless of politics. The only criterion is the result. We do not replace the Olympic Games; rather, it is a powerful addition to the sports competitions in the world. RUBEL-JUBEL: Sorokin previously worked with the football World Cup in Russia in 2018. Now he entices with large prize sums in the Friendly Games. Photo: AP In 1984, Norway was one of the participating countries in the Friendship Games. Now Norway and the rest of the IOC’s member states are being warned not to participate in the 2024 version, on which the Russian governing authorities, according to the website Inside the games, will spend close to one billion kroner. James Macleod, the National Olympic Committee’s (NOC) head of relations and Olympic solidarity, warns member states against going against the IOC’s advice: – In view of the increasing politicization of world sport, we ask that all National Olympic Committees exercise caution and prudence to this initiative, he says. Loland believes that some countries can be enticed. – The Olympic movement consists of over 200 national Olympic committees. Not everyone is equally concerned about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If the prize money is high enough, someone will probably feel tempted. But with the warning from the IOC, I do not believe in large, international support. The professor believes the Olympics stand firm, despite several alternative games. – Various initiatives are emerging. Among the latter is the idea of Enhanced Games: games without doping control. But this is for a few, especially those interested. The Olympic machinery grinds on. The Olympics will probably survive this initiative as well, says Loland. Russia will also host the BRICS Games one month before the Olympics next summer, with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Then it remains to be seen how many will participate in the Friendly Games after the Olympics in Paris – without Russian athletes. BRICS: Perhaps the BRICS fell into place for Russia’s Friendly Games with Brazil, China, South Africa and India in the team. From left: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: AFP
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Hard against Russian “Olympic copy” – warns countries against participating – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
