麻豆影视

Skip to main content

IOC hits back at Putin claim of 'ethnic discrimination' against Russia's potential Olympic athletes

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks after a plenary session of the Russia - Country of Sports International Sports Forum in Perm, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks after a plenary session of the Russia - Country of Sports International Sports Forum in Perm, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Share
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -

The International Olympic Committee dismissed on Friday claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin of "ethnic discrimination" against athletes who are excluded from international sport.

The IOC has advised sports bodies this year to vet Russian athletes for returning to compete as neutral individuals without a national identity ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics while continuing to exclude teams.

Neutral status can be approved for athletes who have not actively supported the war and are not contracted to military or state security agencies, though there have been inconsistencies in how dozens of different sports have applied rules.

"We firmly reject the accusations being made that these measures are an 'ethnic discrimination,"' the IOC said in a statement one day after Putin's speech.

"They are a reaction to the breach of the Olympic Charter by the Russian and Belarusian governments," the Olympic body said, referring to the military invasion of Ukraine starting in February 2022 four days after the Beijing Winter Games closed. The United Nations-backed Olympic Truce was still in force.

Putin also reportedly complained Thursday that invitations to the Olympics were not being given as a right for the best athletes.

However, the Olympic Charter details: "Nobody is entitled as of right to participate in the Olympic Games."

"Any entry is subject to acceptance by the IOC, which may at its discretion, at any time, refuse any entry, without indication of grounds" is stated in article 44 of the book of rules and principles guiding Olympic sports.

Though the IOC last year urged a blanket isolation of Russia and Belarus from international sport, that position eased to become an aim to avoid discrimination based on an individual's passport once qualifying events for Paris approached.

The IOC said Friday the "strict conditions" it has defined for evaluating "individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport" comply with the charter.

The charter also states each national Olympic committee (NOC) "is obliged to participate in the Games of the Olympiad by sending athletes."

Though the IOC suspended the Russian NOC last week -- for incorporating as members sports councils from occupied regions of eastern Ukraine -- it can still directly invite athletes through the governing body of their sport.

IOC president Thomas Bach also has consistently said it is empowered to take a decision that could exclude all Russians from Paris ahead of the July 26 opening ceremony.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The owners of a North York condominium say they are facing a $70,000 special assessment to fix their building's parking garage. '$70,000 is a lot of money. It makes me very nervous and stressed out of nowhere for this huge debt to come in,' said Ligeng Guo.

Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.

The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.

Argentine star Lionel Messi was on the bench to start Inter Miami CF's game in Toronto on Saturday.

A 30-year-old northwestern Ontario woman has been charged with arson following a structure fire Thursday night, police say.

Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.

Local Spotlight

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's t蓹m蓹sew虛tx史 Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

Stay Connected