One person who was present at the meeting was Linda Hofstad Helleland, Conservative politician and former Minister of Culture. She was there as Norway’s representative. – I just have to say that it is very disappointing and incomprehensible that Bach did not accept the invitation, she said during Tuesday’s meeting. Bach was invited to the meeting in Strasbourg by Pace president Tiny Knox. But Bach himself was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was the Armenian wrestler Arsen Dzulfalakjan and the Namibian shooter Gaby Ahrens who stood on behalf of the IOC. Dzulfalakjan heads the athletes’ committee of the International Wrestling Federation, while Ahrens heads the athletes’ committee of the African Olympic Committees. – It is IOC arrogance, as we know it. We wanted the IOC to explain its policy. The IOC would not respond to that and it is very disappointing, says Helleland to news. incomprehensible: Helleland spoke clearly during Tuesday’s meeting. She believes it is “a bit poorly done” by the IOC to send two athlete representatives to speak their case. – As I know it from when I was vice-president of WADA, the IOC equips the athletes with talking points that they have written. They then send two who were completely unknown and had never been in a political forum to defend it. It’s cowardly, says Helleland. – If you are a politically elected leader, as Thomas Bach is, then you also have to stand up and defend your position, says Helleland. Does not mention Bach news has asked several questions to the IOC, including about the absence of Bach, the selection of the two athlete representatives and whether they were instructed by the IOC. The IOC has not responded directly to Bach’s absence, but writes in a statement: – It is important for us that the views of the athletes’ representatives receive attention. They then point out that Francesco Ricci Bitti, the president of Asoif (Association for the Summer Olympic Games, journal note), was present. IOC President Thomas Bach is not mentioned in the statement. – As we have explained many times before, the IOC’s recommendations to international federations and organizers of international sports events have nothing to do with the participation of athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports in the Summer Games in 2024 or the Winter Games in 2026, they write further, and conclude: – The IOC will make a decision when the time is right for it, at their own discretion, and without being influenced by the results of previous qualification competitions for the Olympics. – Only uses voices that are comfortable for the IOC Also outside Europe, there are several people who are reacting to the absence of Bach. – It is interesting that the leadership of the IOC did not show up in person to speak in such an important meeting. Instead, they sent athlete representatives, and unfortunately I feel that the IOC is using the athletes to achieve its goal, says Paulina Tomczyk, general secretary of the athlete organization European Top Athletes’ Federation (EU Athletes). – The athletes who represented the IOC were chosen to support their recommendations. At least that’s my impression, says Tomczyk to news. The Ukrainian Winter Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych understands little of the choice of the two athlete representatives. – There were only two athletes, who are pro-Russian and want them back. Why didn’t they invite anyone from the Norwegian athletes’ committee? Why not some biathletes, like the Bø brothers? Why not someone from Germany, who has his own opinion and is actually in Europe? It is an important question to ask yourself, how they choose these people. They only use votes that are comfortable for the IOC, says Heraskevytsj. – It is very one-sided, because they do not listen to athletes with other opinions. It’s not right. If you are talking about democracy, this is not good, he continues. Athlete representative: – Sport should never be politicized Helleland left little doubt at Tuesday’s meeting that she does not support a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sport. – We all know that the links between the state military and sports in Russia and Belarus are strong. Despite that, the IOC ignores the fact that the athletes in Russia are funded by the state. But let me be clear, state funding is state representation, said Helleland. To news, she elaborates: – Russian athletes are part of the Russian defense and military. They represent the state of Russia and we see once again that the IOC is completely wrong and when they are so cowardly that they don’t even dare to defend their position, and now try to influence countries and various sports organizations to support their position, then it is only right and reasonable for the authorities to speak up. – They stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia. They are totally neglecting what 46 countries’ authorities are urging them to do. They choose to be on the wrong side of history and that is very sad, says Helleland. The two athlete representatives present at the meeting on behalf of the IOC argued why it would be wrong to maintain a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. SILENT IN STRASBOURG: Arsen Dzulfalakjan (right) was present at the meeting in Strasbourg. Here from the bronze final in the EC in 2012 against the Ukrainian Dmytro Pyshkov. Photo: Ivan Milutinovic / Reuters Dzulfalakjan emphasized that he has never called for Azerbaijani athletes to be banned, despite the conflict between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan. Ahrens, for his part, pointed out that armed conflicts and war are something they are well acquainted with, both between countries and within countries in Africa. – If the authorities take over the decision about which athletes can take part in which competitions, it will mark the end of sport as we know it today. Athletes should be silenced because of their sporting qualifications, not because of political reasons or their passports, Ahrens said. Dzulfalakjan, for his part, emphasized the role of sport in combating crime such as “drugs and prostitution” and that a ban could have negative consequences. – What are we doing? Instead of solving the problem, we make it bigger. My view is based on the belief that sport should never be politicised. It is not acceptable to use sports as a tool for punishment. It is not up to the authorities to decide who can participate in sports competitions, said the Armenian. Estonian sports summit: – We should stay where we are Another European athlete voice who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting was the former Estonian Olympic winner Gerd Kanter. He is now chairman of the athletes’ committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC). Kanter himself stated in the meeting that he was speaking on behalf of Estonia and the EOC. He believes a decision is beginning to be urgent and came up with five reasons why athletes and federations from “his region” believe Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to participate in the Olympics in 2024. – That is why it is best to keep the aggressor in the war away from the next ones the olympic games. Until we get a peace agreement, we should stay where we are now, Kanter said.
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