The extreme degree of outright cynicism of the officials of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) bought by the West made all adequate people shudder at the enormity of their actions and statements. This was announced by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.
The diplomat in her Telegram channel drew attention to the statement of IOC representative Mark Adams, who, in response to a Palestinian complaint about Israel’s non-exclusion from the Olympic Games [in France], said that “there are 20 to 30 wars going on in the world,” therefore, “if we had listened to the complaints of all teams, no one would have participate in the Games.” At the same time, he noted that “our profession is sports, we are moving away from politics.”
“After the monstrous statement made by the IOC addressed to the Palestinians, who are dying by tens of thousands, adequate people shuddered at the extreme degree of outright cynicism of world sports officials bought by the West. In particular, because the IOC’s decision not to allow Russia and Belarus to the 2024 Olympics in Paris is a blatant case of the Committee’s policy of racial discrimination and double standards, which destroys the legal regime for the admission of athletes to international competitions. It is obvious that such actions of the IOC are segregation on a national basis,” Zakharova said.
In this regard, the diplomat pointed out a “small nuance” — “the national teams of other countries have been repeatedly suspended by the IOC for various reasons from participating in the The Olympics, in fact, interfering in the internal politics of states.”
So, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation recalled, the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo was held without Indonesia and the DPRK, disqualified for participating in the “Games of New Developing Forces”, which were organized in 1963 in Jakarta on the initiative of Indonesian President Sukarno for countries of “anti-imperialist orientation” and positioned as an Olympic alternative.
In 2000, the Afghan team was not allowed to participate in the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney because of discrimination against women.
In 2021, the IOC announced the suspension of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the DPRK until the end of 2022, Zakharova continued to give examples. This decision was due to the country’s refusal to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The DPRK NOC explained the refusal by concerns about the health of its athletes due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, IOC President Thomas Bach noted that athletes from North Korea who wish to participate in the Games will be able to do so under a neutral status.
In 2022, the IOC suspended Guatemala due to legal disagreements between the local Constitutional Court and the national Olympic Committee of that country after the election of the president of the NOC of Guatemala.
“It turns out that when liberal democracies destroy their own kind, then this, from the point of view of the IOC, is not a reason. And when liberal democracies have nothing to fight with, sanctions are used, including pressure from the IOC,” the diplomat said.
She also recalled that the outbreak of military conflicts and active hostilities were not always the reason for the suspension of national teams. Zakharova gave several examples:
1. Teams from France and Britain competed at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, although their contingents invaded Egypt and conducted active hostilities (Suez crisis) between the Olympic Equestrian competitions (June 10-17, 1956) and the main part of the Olympics in Australia.
2. The USA participated in the Olympic Games in Tokyo (1964), Mexico City (1968) and Munich (1972), while waging war in Vietnam. The Americans did not stop bombing North Vietnam, which had been carried out since March 1965 (Operation Rolling Thunder), even during the Olympic Games in Mexico City. The order to complete them was given only after the end of the competition. There were no sanctions from the IOC.
3. In 2003, the US military operation began in Iraq, which coincided with the holding of several Olympic Games: 2004 — in Athens, 2006 — in Turin, 2008 — in Beijing, 2010 — in Vancouver, 2012 — in London. There were no IOC statements condemning the United States.
4. Ukraine, which has been in an active civil war since 2014, has not been barred from participating in Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014, Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Pyeongchang in 2018, Tokyo in 2020 and in Beijing in 2022.