CAS must announce whether the Russians, who were unreasonably not invited to the Games, will participate in the Olympics. “The main thing is not the flag, but the people”: reaction to Russia’s exclusion from the Olympics Will our team participate in the Olympics

The Russian national team was suspended from participation in the winter Olympic Games-2018. Russian athletes will be able to compete in Pyeongchang only in neutral status without the right to use national attributes. This decision was made by the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday, December 5. How Russia will react to the IOC decision will become clear on December 12.

The IOC's decision did not come as a surprise

Should the athletes who are still allowed to the Olympics compete at the Games in South Korea? This issue is being actively discussed today, probably all over the world. As stated by the Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, the final decision on participation in the Games will be made on December 12 at the Olympic meeting “with the participation of athletes - candidates for participation in the Olympics, coaches and representatives of federations.” TASS reports this. However, the state does not have the right to influence the opinions of athletes; each of those who have passed the Olympic selection will make an independent decision. These are the rules of the IOC.

Many Russian athletes noted that the IOC’s decision was expected, as evidenced by the review of the Sochi results and the disqualification of individual athletes. At the same time, the message about Russia's exclusion from the Games divided the Russian public into two camps. Some people think that they should categorically refuse to compete at the Olympics, while others are of the opinion that they should compete by winning the ban.

The head of the Ski Jumping Federation, Dmitry Dubrovsky, believes that athletes are obliged to go and fight not only for themselves, but also for those who are suspended. “There is no point in going for the heads of federations, but not for the athletes,” TASS quotes him as saying. Two-time Olympic champion, Russian biathlete Sergei Chepikov agrees with him, asking fans not to judge athletes who decide to compete under neutral flag at the Olympics.

Member of the Presidium of the Russian Freestyle Skiing Federation Petros Gasparyan called the IOC decision on the 2018 Olympics a humiliation. TASS also reports this. According to Gasparyan, Russia was equated with representatives of unrecognized countries, since they are the ones who compete under the neutral flag of the IOC. First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Ivan Melnikov also said that Russian athletes cannot go to the Olympics under a neutral flag.

Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation Andrei Klishas told RIA Novosti that the IOC’s decision contradicts the principles of international law and is of a political nature. According to the senator, sport has once again become a victim of political speculation and destructive attempts at international pressure on Russia. We would like to add that the IOC decision to ban the participation of Russian athletes in the 2018 Olympic Games under the flag of their country may be challenged in the Sports Court. arbitration court(CAS), which is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. CAS can be contacted by an individual athlete, coach, sports official, or an international or national sports organization.

Leonid Oder: “We must go and sing the Russian anthem live on the top step of the Olympic podium”

According to the minister physical culture and sports of the Chelyabinsk region Leonid Oder, the IOC’s decision to suspend our country’s Olympic team is a truly humiliating decision for us.

– As for the performance of our athletes under a neutral flag, each athlete must decide for himself whether he is ready for this. Naturally, no one can deprive a person of his dream of competing at the Olympics, but how comfortable it will be for the athletes themselves, how legitimate they will feel there, is another question,” Leonid Oder noted in a conversation with Gubernia.

More than 10 athletes from the Chelyabinsk region had a chance to get into the Olympic team, go to South Korea and defend the honor of the region and country there. Many were preparing for this Olympics as the main start of their lives. According to Leonid Oder, again political games prevented our athletes from adequately representing the country at the Games.

According to the sports official, on December 12 in Moscow, every federation, every member of the national Olympic team and his personal coach They will make difficult decisions for themselves.

– But, in my opinion, the leaders need to go and compete for medals there in order to prove the strength of Russian sports and sing the Russian anthem live on the top step of the Olympic podium! – Leonid Oder emphasized.

The owner of numerous sports awards, native of Trekhgorny judoka Kirill Denisov in a telephone conversation with a Gubernia correspondent, he shared his opinion that the issue of the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympics is complex, but we still need to go.

– Many people do not root for specific athletes, but for the flag, the country. On the other hand, this is the individual life of each athlete who has been preparing for this Olympics all his life; he has a chance that he must take advantage of. It’s hard, but I’m more inclined to believe that an athlete should go to the Olympics even under a neutral flag,” the athlete commented on the situation. – I understand the Olympians both as an athlete and as a fan. And I will still support our Russians, who will represent our country under a neutral flag. My opinion is that we need to go in spite of everyone and not succumb to the provocations of those who want the Olympic Games to be held without Russia’s participation.

Many South Urals also expressed their opinion on this matter. “Guberniya” conducted a survey on social networks, asking: “Should Russian athletes participate in the 2018 Olympics under a neutral flag or not?”

INLadimir Strelnikov, director of the newspaper "Miasssky Rabochiy":

– This is exactly what they were trying to achieve – to split society, and we will play along with them? Responsibility for decisions should be individual, not collective.

Vladimir Filichkin, human rights activist:

Each athlete must decide for himself. It is incorrect for us to decide for them.

Olga Sukinova, editor of the Metro newspaper:

- Yes, we need to go. Sports career too short to waste several years of preparation because of political squabbles.

Oleg Lastochkin, journalist:

- Definitely no. They spat in our faces, once again, by the way... And we don’t have to prove anything to anyone. VGTRK, which promises not to show the Olympics, deserves respect.

Elena Revnyakova, director of the newspaper “Arguments and Facts-Chelyabinsk”:

- Necessary! Why should an honest athlete, who has put everything into achieving a result and is ready to show what he has achieved at the main competition, refuse this because of the decision of the officials?

Oleg Bakhtinov, trainer:

– My word is not decisive, but... NO!

Elena Vashkevich, editor of the newspaper "Zvezda":

- No. Speaking for oneself, and not for the country, is a split in society...

Sergei Tkachev:

- Everything is very controversial. From the athlete's point of view, everything is clear. He put everything on the line. He wants to show results. And he has the right to choose. Whatever he decides is right. However, this athlete used the services of a coach, material resources, and so on. Who paid for all this? And now the payer is being told: get out of the Olympic Games. I think this way: let the athletes who want to participate. We will root for them. But since there is no Russian flag, then no prize money from the state. No state at the Games - no prize money. And athletes who refuse to participate in the Games must receive financial compensation from the state.

Oleg Stroganov, director of the Chelyabinsk sports school "Konas":

– Perform and win! It’s not the clothes that matter, but the inner state!

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) voted for the participation of Russian athletes at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, Korea, under a neutral flag. The committee said it respects any decision by athletes to participate or not participate in the Olympics, and decided to create a negotiating group with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to agree on the participation of the Russians. Earlier, the ROC prepared an appeal to the IOC with a request to reconsider the decision to ban the Russian national team from competing under its flag and to impose lifelong disqualification on some Russian athletes.

“The opinion was unanimous. Our athletes need to go to Korea. We need to perform, we need to achieve victories for the glory of Russia,” said ROC President Alexander Zhukov at a press conference after the meeting of the Olympic meeting. He emphasized that athletes have to agree, “despite the unfair decision of the IOC.”

The Olympic Assembly also “calls for respect for the choices of athletes, including those who decide not to go.” In addition, the ROC promised to provide “full support to athletes who have won the right to participate in the Games, but have not received an invitation from the IOC.”

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov on Kommersant FM:

President Putin said, if you remember, that, in his opinion, no one should interfere with those athletes who wish to travel under a neutral flag. And, based on this position, he expected the Olympic meeting, where the corresponding decision should be made. Now the Olympic meeting has taken place - the decision has been made. Thus, we can only talk about his support.”

Alexander Zhukov said that Russia has 208 licenses to participate in Winter Games, however, the IOC will issue permits, so the final number of participants may still change. According to Mr. Zhukov, the ROC is afraid that the IOC will invite “fifth or fourth numbers” to the Olympics in South Korea, but will not send invitations to the leaders of the national team. Therefore, the ROC executive committee has formed a group of delegates that will go to Lausanne on December 15 for negotiations with IOC members, where they will try to convince the committee to invite leaders after all.

Alexander Zhukov also spoke about the informant of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov, who now lives in the USA. “I believe that Mr. Rodchenkov and his colleagues caused huge damage sport in general, Russian sport and the international Olympic movement,” Mr. Zhukov said at a press conference after the ROC meeting.

Earlier, the ROC prepared an appeal to IOC President Thomas Bach and the organization’s executive committee with a request to reconsider the decision to ban the Russian national team from competing under its flag and to impose lifelong disqualification on some Russian athletes.

After the decision of the Olympic meeting was announced, Channel One announced that it would broadcast competitions with the participation of Russian athletes at the Olympics. Originally broadcast sports was also planned for Russia 1. However, in November, the press service of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company announced that state television channels would not show the Winter Games if the national team did not participate in them.

Neutral uniforms for Russian athletes will be provided by the company Zasport, which will develop clothing that will meet the requirements of the IOC in the context of the team’s exclusion from participation in the 2018 Olympics.

Let us remind you that on December 5, the IOC Executive Committee allowed Russian athletes to compete at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, but only under a neutral flag and only those of them who were not suspected of doping. Following this, some parliamentarians and politicians in Russia called for a boycott of the Games. However, later Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the authorities would not interfere with the participation of athletes in the 2018 Olympic Games. “We, without any doubt, will not declare any blockade, we will not prevent our Olympians from taking part in the Games if any of them wants to take part in a personal capacity,” Mr. Putin said during a conversation with workers of the Gorky Automobile Plant.

Roman Dorofeev, Mikhail Belyaev

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russian athletes to participate in the 2018 Olympics under a neutral flag. This was reported on the IOC website.

Russians at the 2018 Olympics will be presented as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” (OAR), the IOC notes. They will compete in sports uniform with this inscription and under the Olympic flag. During the awards ceremony, the Olympic anthem will be played, not the Russian one. The final decision on the admission of a Russian athlete will be made by a special commission of representatives of WADA, DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit) and the IOC.

Former Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and his former deputy Yuri Nagornykh have been permanently banned from participating in all future Olympics in any capacity, the IOC said. Former general director of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko (also general director of Gazprom Media) from the coordination commission of the 2022 Winter Olympics, it is said there. And that’s not all: not a single employee of the Russian Ministry of Sports will be able to be accredited for the 2018 Olympics, and the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Alexander Zhukov has been suspended from participation in the IOC.

In addition, the IOC ROC will transfer $15 million to create a global anti-doping system. The ROC will have to reimburse the IOC for expenses incurred by the committee due to investigations related to doping by Russian athletes.

The IOC decision was made by consensus, IOC President Thomas Bach said, Interfax reports.

The neutral flag (also called white) is the Olympic flag with five rings. Russian athletes have already performed under a neutral flag - as part of a unified team in 1992 at the Winter Olympics in Albertville and summer games in Barcelona. Then the combined team included athletes former republics USSR, which collapsed in December 1991. Unofficially, the team was called the “CIS team.” At the Summer Olympics she took first place in the overall medal standings, and at the Winter Olympics she took second place, winning olympic gold in hockey.

Reaction

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov did not answer Vedomosti’s question whether the Kremlin will give recommendations to Russian athletes regarding their participation or non-participation in the Olympics in Pyeongchang on the terms proposed by the IOC.

Earlier, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin would remain silent until the official decision of the IOC. The possibility of a boycott of the Olympics is not being discussed, Peskov noted.

A representative of Channel One declined to comment on whether the channel will now broadcast the 2018 Olympics. VGTRK confirmed that it will not show the Olympics without the national team. A representative of Gazprom Media (which manages the sports channel Match-TV) said that the Olympics without Russian athletes would not be so interesting to viewers, and declined to make any other comments.

Background

At the meeting on Russia’s admission to the Olympics, the IOC will consider the conclusions of two commissions that were created to study the data of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on doping in Russian sports. One, under the leadership of Swiss lawyer Denis Oswald, is rechecking doping samples from the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The other is investigating the involvement of the Russian Ministry of Sports in the doping system in Russia.

In mid-November, WADA upheld the disqualification of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), whose accreditation was revoked in 2015. One of the main demands for Russia is to unconditionally accept the conclusions of the McLaren Commission on the existence of a state doping system. The Russian side did not comply with it. Russian President Vladimir Putin blames Russia for the upcoming elections.

Where it all started

Three years ago – in December 2014 – a documentary film “Top Secrets of Doping: How Russia Produces Its Winners” was released on the German TV channel ARD. In it, former chief specialist of RUSADA Vitaly Stepanov and his wife Yulia Stepanova, disqualified in 2013 for doping, spoke about several cases of use by athletes from Russia. After this, WADA created a commission to investigate in early 2015. The first results of the work were published in November 2015: the commission came to the conclusion that the All-Russian Federation athletics, RUSADA and Russia in general do not comply with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Code. It was then that WADA revoked accreditation from RUSADA.

After this report, another investigation began into the use of doping by Russian athletes - it was conducted by a commission led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. The first part was published in July 2016, the second in December of the same year. Then the commission concluded that a state doping program existed in Russia from at least 2012 to 2015. For example, scratches were found on test tubes with doping samples of Russian athletes, and a high salt content or DNA of another person was found in the biomaterial. Athletes' tests were changed between 2012 and 2014, including at the Sochi Olympics, McLaren's report claims. These manipulations took place under the control of the Ministry of Sports and the FSB of Russia, it is said there.

WADA's main informant in the Russian sports doping case, whose testimony formed the basis of the McLaren report, is former manager Moscow anti-doping laboratory. In 2016, he moved to the United States, and in May he gave an interview The New York Times: He said that he was involved in replacing about 100 urine samples of Russian athletes during the 2014 Olympics, and also admitted that he himself developed a cocktail of three anabolic steroids for Russian athletes, which they took part in at the Olympics.

13:40. This concludes our live from the Russian Olympic Committee. There was no drama. As expected, Russia called the decision unfair, but agreed that the athletes should not suffer because of this, and therefore the Russians will be able to attend the Games in Pyeongchang, even without an anthem and flag.

13:35. The press conference is over, the decision has been made, the journalists have no more questions.

13:30. Zhukov: “Of course Rodchenkov and his entire team did not exist in a vacuum of space. They caused colossal damage to the Russian and international Olympic movement. But these are double-dealers, they were double-dealers. They were put in charge of defending the ideals of Olympism and pure sport, but they were doing the exact opposite. Please note one of the report's conclusions: Schmida: no state system of doping fraud has been detected in Russia. There is no evidence of this."

13:20. “How many licenses are there potentially?” - they asked Zhukov. “Russia has 208 licenses to participate in the Games - that is, these are potential participants. But only permits will be issued, and no one knows how much it will turn out in the end,” the head replied.

13:15. Important addition from Alexandra Zhukova: “If some athletes do not receive the right to perform at the Olympics from, then we can consider organizing some kind of domestic or international competitions where they could realize themselves. But we hope for a fair decision on the participation of these athletes. And we expect that their cases will be reviewed by CAS in an expedited manner.

13:12. The hockey player also commented on the decision Ilya Kovalchuk.

13:10. Sophia the Great: “Today is very important for athletes. And the decision made is wonderful, it’s great. I speak sincerely. Now all athletes can relax a little and start preparing for the Games, although there is very little time left. I would like to urge Russian society to respect the athletes’ decisions,” concluded the Olympic champion.

13:05. Alexander Zhukov, Vitaly Smirnov, Sofia Velikaya and Ilya Kovalchuk are present at the press conference.

13:00. Zhukov and began the press conference: “A large number of Russian athletes who dream of competing at the Olympic Games took part in the Olympic meeting. The illustrious performed Olympic champions and trainers. Everyone who is directly related to the Olympic movement. The opinion of all the speakers was the same: our athletes need to go to Korea - compete there and achieve victories. The Olympic Assembly unanimously supported the athletes' statement. They expressed their readiness to take part in the 2018 Games, despite the decision, which, of course, is somewhat unfair. At the same time, the meeting supports any decision of the athletes, including those who decide not to go.

12:55. An unexpected look at the press conference - from the head's seat Alexandra Zhukova. A crowd of journalists is waiting for details of the main decision of the Olympic season.

12:50. The main decision of the day has been made. There is a press conference ahead at which they will talk about him in more detail. So far, one thing is clear - Russian athletes will be at the Olympics in Pyeongchang.

12:40. The meeting unanimously supported the decision of athletes who want to compete at the Olympic Games under a neutral flag.

12:30. And this is what the “special service” itself looks like... As they say, sorry, pies.

12:25. You can see this notice on the doors of the dining room. “Special service” is the feeding of journalists who came to the meeting.

12:15. The press conference room is already ready. The start is scheduled for 13:00.

12:05. Head of Information Service of the Russian Olympic Committee Konstantin Vybornov explained that the meeting was needed to express the position of the Russian Olympic community, and also explained in detail how the composition of participants in the 2018 Olympics from Russia would be formed, and noted that the final decision of the Olympic meeting would be announced very soon at a press conference.

Vybornov: OCD will help those who decide to go to the Olympic Games and those who refuse

11:55. The hockey players who came to the meeting in red sweaters also stand out from the general background.

11:45. Athletes from at least four sports are present at the meeting: hockey, short track speed skating, curling and figure skating. This is for whom the decision is really important today. The short track skaters were optimistic and posed for the “Championship” correspondent with smiles.

11:35. This is what the agenda for the Olympic meeting looks like. Topic #1 is obvious. But besides this, there is something to discuss.

11:25. The award was presented, for example, to a famous trainer synchronized swimming Tatiana Pokrovskaya. Olga Brusnikina congratulated my mentor. He also received a well-deserved award Vladimir Yesheev- President of the Archery Federation.

11:15. Before the discussion begins on the issue of athletes’ participation in the upcoming Winter Games, awards will be given state awards coaches for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

11:12. Alexander Zhukov And Pavel Kolobkov took their places on the presidium. The head opens the meeting.

11:10. The meeting is about to begin, everyone is waiting for leadership.

11:05. Sports celebrities keep arriving. On the picture - Alexander Karelin communicates with journalists. Immediately after it passed Svetlana Khorkina And Tatiana Tarasova. “I look forward to a humane attitude towards the athletes,” noted the famous figure skating mentor.

11:00. This is what the entrance to the building looks like. The bosses, judging by the cars, are already there.

10:55. These are the kind of exquisite designs that can be found in the toilet - the same one that the finger points to.

10:50. “Championship” correspondents are already in the building. They will be the first to know about the decision of our athletes. Until the meeting begins, a couple of interesting observations. On the second floor there is a finger with the ZASPORT brand. It is unclear where he is pointing. Moreover, the nearest door is the toilet. Symbolic?

10:40. Carefully! The text below contains a spoiler - the future decision of Russian athletes. And one more option - how to surprise and discourage without organizing the boycott that is expected of us.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made a decision unprecedented in the history of the Olympic Games: Russian athletes at the upcoming Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, will compete under the name Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR), which means “Olympian from Russia.” At award ceremonies for Russian athletes, IOC symbols will be used instead of the national anthem and flag.

The basis for this was the disqualification of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which was entrusted with responsibility for anti-doping violations admitted during the Games in Sochi. Commenting on the decision, the President of the ROC Alexander Zhukov noted several positive aspects of this verdict.

The first is that the IOC did not succumb to calls to ban athletes from the Russian Federation from competing at the Olympic Games and to permanently exclude the country from Olympic movement. The second is that the word “Russia” will still be present in the name of the team and, finally, the third point is that the athletes will participate in team competitions. The latter is extremely important because until recently it was not clear who would be represented at the Games Russian teams in case of disqualification of a national Olympic Committee. Thus, Russians will compete in hockey tournaments, curling, team figure skating competitions and relay races.

However, for this, all Russian athletes, without exception, will need to fulfill the requirements for admission to the Games, the main one of which is repeated doping tests. In addition, athletes who have already been punished for violating anti-doping rules will not be allowed to participate in the Games. However, this decision may still be challenged. Now, if Russian athletes agree to compete at the Olympics as “Olympians from Russia,” issues of their financing, equipment, accommodation at the Games and many others will be decided. Since the decision was made unprecedented, its consequences are now difficult to predict, TASS reports.

As the creative producer of Vesti.FM noted in a conversation with a Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent Georgiy Saralidze, the unprecedented decision of the IOC affects the entire system international sports. “Now we see that the IOC is crossing out all the rules that existed. Previously, it was simple: two doping samples A and B are taken from each athlete. If A gives a positive reaction to some prohibited device, then sample B is opened and tested in avoiding mistakes. If an athlete is caught, he will be disqualified, depending on the severity of the guilt, for a year or for life. Now these rules do not work: most of the athletes who are now disqualified for life and cannot participate in the Olympics have never been convicted of doping or before the Sochi Olympics, neither after nor during it,” he noted.

“They were disqualified because they were allegedly involved in some kind of doping system, which Rodchenkov is talking about and which the documents that were presented are supposedly proving now. There are simply no facts that many of these athletes took doping. ". And this means a change in the entire system: now, based on the testimony of one person and indirect evidence, any athlete can be deprived of a medal and disqualified for life. This is a new reality for sports," emphasized Georgiy Saralidze.

There is no question of boycotting the Games, since Russia will not be represented as a country at the Olympics anyway. “Russian athletes will be presented there, who, I want to note, will be admitted by a special commission, and they will be called “invited athletes.” That is, the Olympic meeting on December 12 may say that it will boycott the Games, but these will only be words, there will be no actions. According to the law that exists now, and according to the Olympic Charter, the Olympics are not competitions of countries, they are competitions of athletes, and no one under any circumstances can legally prohibit athletes from going to these competitions. The question is, what will be the reaction of society to the decision of the athletes to go or not to go there?,” said the creative producer of Vesti.FM.

Sports TV commentator Nikolay Saprin, in turn, I am sure that the decision to participate in the Olympics should be made as a team. “Yesterday, Alexander Zhukov said that there will be another meeting of the Olympians on December 12, with the participation of coaches, athletes, and federation leaders. Probably, having gathered together in their professional narrow circle, they will make the final decision. At the same time, every athlete "has the right to decide for himself, without looking at anyone, whether he will participate in the Olympics, because this is their life, their destiny and career. Of course, if the IOC commission allows them to the Olympics, and individual admission will be very strict," he recalled.

According to him, the IOC understands that it is radically changing the rules. “The decision was predicted, and, of course, the IOC, taking such a step, cannot help but understand that there is no turning back, that this is an undermining of the Olympic movement in the pure form in which we usually understand and perceive it. For Western countries here and now that's the only thing correct solution, many people there agree with the removal of Russia, but next time such a decision may also affect Western teams. Since yesterday the Olympic sport life crossed a certain line, beyond which lies a completely different perception of reality and a completely different life for athletes,” concluded Nikolai Saprin.