Russia is willing to enter the Olympics through the “back door”

Russia is willing to enter the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris through the “back door”, that is, without anthem or flag, but will not accept the imposition that its athletes sign political declarations against the war in Ukraine.

“This is a red line. They will not sign any declaration. Under these conditions, our athletes will not participate in international competitions,” Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matitsin told the Chamber of Deputies.

The recent refusal of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to invite Russians and Belarusians to participate in the Summer Olympic Games does not worry Moscow, which knows that a year is a long time, even with a war on the horizon.

Indeed, the Kremlin has no intention of boycotting the Olympic Games, as the USSR did in Los Angeles in 1984 after the Western boycott of Moscow in 1980.

RUSSIA WANTS TO PROVE ITSELF IN SPORTS

Russia may be increasingly isolated in the eyes of Western diplomacy, but the reality is that Russian athletes are actively participating in ranking tournaments.

With the blessing of the IOC, which handed over the responsibility to the international federations, the Russians recently participated as neutrals in the judo (Qatar) and taekwondo (Azerbaijan) world championships.

The same happened at the European Fencing Championships in Bulgaria, where the tournament was moved after Poland refused to grant visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Moscow publicly denounces discrimination against its athletes, but does not hide its satisfaction with the IOC’s current resistance to pressure from Western governments, including Ukraine.

If tennis and cycling never marginalized Russians, like wrestling and table tennis, among others, gymnastics also opened its doors to these athletes last week, although they will only be able to compete again in early 2024.

ATHLETICS DOESN’T GIVE UP

Athletics, which has already sanctioned Russia for state doping, does not give in. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe took sides and it doesn’t look like the Russians will make it back to the Olympics.

The country doesn’t stand a chance in weightlifting, where Russians have been sanctioned several times in recent years for using banned substances. No Russian weightlifters competed in June at the Havana Grand Prix, essential to a shot at a medal in Paris.

Doubts persist in boxing, swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming, the latter modality monopolized by Russians for years.

However, the Russians seem to have an opportunity in canoeing and rowing.

The IOC is also unwilling to review its decision to bar Russians and Belarusians from participating in team sports, which is a major setback for Russia, especially in women’s volleyball and handball.

As for Russian athletes who missed qualifying tournaments because of the war, the IOC said it would not ask international federations to adapt their tournaments to host Russians and Belarusians.

ASIAN ALTERNATIVE

Russia has an alternative. The Asian Games, which take place from September 23 to October 8 in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. The Asian federation authorized the participation of 500 Russian and Belarusian athletes, something that the IOC also welcomes.

Russians and Belarusians are not eligible for medals or to participate in team competitions, but they can theoretically achieve a minimum performance that will allow them to go to Paris within a year.

Two months before these games, Moscow still has not confirmed whether it has accepted the invitation and will send a delegation to China. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, known to IOC President Thomas Bach, maintains a strict silence, although his position against what he calls the “politicization of sport” is well known.