The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday defended its decision to provisionally lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), after nine European Union member states asked Brussels to stop funding sports organizations that have reinstated Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions.
In a letter addressed to the European Commissioner for Sport, Glenn Micallef, Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden called on the European Union to suspend funding to several sports bodies, including the IOC, World Aquatics and the International Fencing Federation.
The IOC explained that the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, in effect since October 2023, was lifted earlier this month after the ROC removed sports organizations from the occupied Ukrainian territories from its structure. It was precisely the integration of these entities that had led to its suspension.
An IOC spokesperson, however, emphasized the provisional nature of this decision, stating that it did not reflect a broader shift in the organization's position regarding Russia. The Olympic body stressed that it continues to act in accordance with its rules and the Olympic Charter, while taking into account the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine.
This decision comes amid a context where the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes continues to divide the sporting world and several European governments, some believing that a return to international competitions should not be considered as long as the war in Ukraine continues.
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