IOC explains reason for dismissal of Russian, Belarus athletes from competitions

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has pointed out the Russian war in Ukraine as the main reason for the dismissal of athletes from Russia and Belarus from official competitions.

“Why did we react to this situation differently than to many other military conflicts around the world? There are two answers to this. First, the situation in Ukraine is a blatant violation of the Olympic Truce. Secondly, the far-reaching political, social, and economic consequences of this situation make it a turning point in world history,” Match TV quotes Bach as saying, during a speech at the IOC 139th session in Lausanne in Switzerland.

By late February, the IOC addressed the international sports federations and recommended that they not allow domestic and Belarusian athletes to participate in any competitions.

After that, various sports international organizations began to remove Russian athletes from competitions. The term of the suspension, according to the President of the IOC, is still open. Also, international major competitions were postponed or cancelled from Russia.