“Russia Levels Accusations of ‘Racism and Neo-Nazism’ Against IOC”
Russia vehemently criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, accusing the organization of engaging in “neo-Nazism” due to its restrictions on Russian athletes and its condemnation of the Moscow-organized Friendship Games.
The IOC recently made decisions such as barring Russian athletes from participating in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 26 and criticizing Russia’s plans for the Friendship Games, calling them a form of politicization of sports.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, labeled these actions as a departure from the IOC’s principles and accused the committee of slipping into racism and neo-Nazism.
Despite being suspended from the 2024 Games, Russian athletes were given the opportunity to compete as neutrals if they refrained from actively supporting Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Zakharova argued that this neutral status requires Russian athletes to disassociate themselves from their homeland, citizenship, history, culture, and people, which she deemed unjust and unacceptable.
Russia’s indignation towards the IOC escalated after the committee issued a statement condemning Russia’s plans for the Friendship Games, which are intended to be held as an alternative to the Olympics. While the IOC urged nations and athletes to abstain from participating in the Friendship Games, it stopped short of imposing sanctions on those who do.
In response, the Kremlin criticized the IOC’s stance, branding it as intimidation against athletes and undermining the committee’s credibility.
Tensions between Russia and the IOC have been simmering for years, exacerbated by a doping scandal that led to Russian athletes competing under a neutral flag in previous Olympic Games. The IOC also accused Russia of disregarding global anti-doping standards, citing concerns raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regarding doping practices during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced various sanctions in multiple sports since Russia’s incursion into Ukraine in 2022. While some sports have relaxed restrictions on athletes from these countries under certain conditions, competitors from Russia and Belarus are still prohibited from participating in athletics events.
