– I must say that I am quite surprised. She represents the athletes’ committee in Norway, which will protect and represent the interests and values of Norway’s top athletes. And then I think that now Astrid has missed as badly as possible, says rower Kjetil Borch to news. The Olympic medalist from Tokyo speaks in a calm voice, but he is clearly pissed off when news makes contact on Thursday evening. A short time ago, he read the case that Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen advocated that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to participate in sports during a meeting with the International Committee (IOC). As head of the athletes’ committee, Jacobsen represents the interests and views of Borch and all other elite athletes who play sports organized by sports clubs and special associations in the Norwegian Sports Confederation. Now he is strongly provoked. – If I’m on the list of top athletes that the athletes’ committee represents, then they just have to delete me once because this is beyond me. I want to encourage Astrid to find out what’s going on in top sport, Borch continues – and adds: – I sit in the canteen at Olympiatoppen every single day, including Sundays throughout the winter, and talk to athletes, trainers, coaches, personnel and performers from abroad. I do not recognize myself in any of what the athletes’ committee summarizes as overall national support for Russia to be involved. Athlete committee The athlete committee consists of: Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen (chair) Anna Margrete Sletsjøe (deputy chair) Aida Dahlen Anita Yvonne Stenberg Birgit Skarstein Lena Schrøder Sarah Louise Rung Stian Skjerahaug Øyvind Watterdal Silent on the criticism The elite athlete believes there is no basis for drawing the conclusion that Norwegian athletes support Russian participation. He believes the sports committee is making a mistake. – Does the statement reflect the impression you have of Norwegian sports’ view of Russian participation? – Absolutely not. In a way, it may seem easy to be an athlete who stands on the outside of what can be called the sports political game, and to point out such things. But this is about the fact that I, as an Olympic athlete, am represented by a committee, which I now believe must be realistic, says Borch. TOP ATHLETE: Kjetil Borch. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB The 32-year-old takes his hat and goes home if the athletes’ committee can point to surveys to prove that the majority want Russia back, but without numbers or signatures he believes that the view Jacobsen advocated at the IOC meeting is rooted in reality . – Do you trust Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen? – Unfortunately, I have to say that that trust has seriously weakened. Now there are new elections in the spring, and with such a stance, I don’t know if it will work if she wants re-election. Astrid Uhrenholdt does not want to comment on the criticism from Kjetil Borch. – If Norwegian athletes don’t have confidence in me, they can express it in the right channels. I’m not sitting there for myself. It will take its course in the right channels, says Jacobsen to news. Encouraging dialogue When asked what the performance committee has done to gather support around the message of value-based dialogue, where there should be no discrimination on the basis of passports, Jacobsen replies that they are in an ongoing process. – No formal decisions have been made. All athletes are always encouraged to get in touch. This is a voluntary position and I do not make any money from this. I just want to emphasize that, even if I sound like a pimp. COMMITTEE CHAIR: Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB – Why haven’t you spoken to the athletes? – We have an ongoing dialogue. I am very well aware that there are many opinions out there. My door and phone are always open and available. I try to be as close as I can. I have tried to be involved internationally to safeguard the values of sport. Everyone should get in touch, also to get the facts, says Jacobsen. Jacobsen: Violation of human rights She maintains that the discussions that have taken place under IOC auspices have been value-based and dealt with discrimination. – Everyone agrees that the war is cruel and brutal. I told them what we had discussed in Norway, from a values point of view and the Olympic and sports vision. If sport is to continue to be neutral and have zero tolerance for discrimination, you cannot ban athletes because of Russian passports, says Jacobsen – and continues: – There is also a violation of human rights. What I have done is advocate for a discussion. Jacobsen clarifies that the athlete committee has not made a decision, but discussed things from the athlete’s perspective when she is asked why the statements differ from those from the Norwegian Sports Confederation. NIF has said their position has not changed. – We must dare to stand in a process and spend time finding out which direction to take, which opportunities exist. Finding the answer to 1-2-3 is very naive and takes time and probes widely. The whole world wants sport to make political assessments, but we can’t, says Jacobsen passionately – and adds: – Others use sport for their politics, that’s not an argument for politicizing sport even more from the inside. Disagreement about “passport discrimination” Borch agrees that it is a good starting point that people should not be judged on the basis of which passport they have and that sport should offer a unifying arena. However, he is crystal clear as to why it should not apply now: – Sport is a hugely important societal mission globally and must show good values. And it goes against precisely these values to include a state that can in principle be considered a totalitarian regime, which engages in terror and violates human rights, thunders Borch. Based on the statements of Jacobsen and a number of other representatives, the IOC claimed on Wednesday that the “vast majority” of athlete representatives want Russia and Belarus to return to international competitions. The Swedish biathlon profile Sebastian Samuelsson told news that he was the only one to speak out. Jacobsen does not recognize himself in that claim. Granerud: – It’s a bit jarring Hoppuke winner Halvor Egner Granerud says the news came out of nowhere. On the one hand, he wants people with more knowledge to make the decision, but thinks it is important to make visible to Russia what is right. – Russia is one of the world’s best sporting countries, so on a general basis there are many athletes who are not allowed to practice their sport at the highest level. The competition in many sports has become lower, says Granerud to news. SURPRISED: Norway’s best jumper in the World Cup by far, Halvor Egner Granerud, says it came out of nowhere. Photo: LISI NIESNER / Reuters When asked if it should speak against Russia that athletes are actively used in propaganda and that several athletes have received military titles speaks against it, Granerud replies: – Yes, I think that is a good argument against. At a sports policy level, one also has to assess how heavy it should be. And if you are going to cut everyone across the board. – It’s not something I’ve thought about very much. But it would have been very strange if Russian officers are to compete against Ukrainian athletes. It’s a bit jarring in my ears. Olympic high jump winner Marija Lasitskene and cross-country star Aleksandr Bolsjunov, for example, hold the rank of captain in the Russian armed forces. A number of Russian sports stars hold military officer ranks. CAPTAIN: Aleksandr Bolshunov is one of many Russian athletes who have received a military promotion from President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB – War and sports don’t mix well Combined runner Espen Bjørnstad believes it is too early to let Russian and Belarusian athletes go. – It actually comes as a bit of a shock that it is she who speaks for it. My thinking on that is that as long as the war in Ukraine is going on, the Russians should be left out. They claim that sport and politics are not connected, but Russia has definitely shown that it does. Then we just have to continue to keep them out, unfortunately, says Bjørnstad to news. COMBINED RUNNER: Espen Bjørnstad. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB He believes that Jacobsen must be allowed to have her own opinions on the matter, but is unsure whether the diversity of practitioners shares her opinion. He doesn’t think that applies in the combined camp: – I think the majority agree with me here that as long as the war is going on, the athletes should be left out, says Bjørnstad, who is supported by national team colleague Simen Tiller. – Basically, I think it is a bit wrong when there is a war going on. I don’t know what the background is for that. What kind of restrictions it may have in mind if they are allowed to come back here. But basically, war and sport don’t go well together, says Tiller to news.
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