The decision is… No decision.
Writes Michael Weadock, April 2023
Last week the International Olympic Committee held their latest board meeting. Day one of the talks was dominated by discussions about the ongoing situation in Ukraine. IOC President Thomas Bach re-stated his intentions that athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to compete internationally as neutral athletes. He cited the examples of tennis and football where athletes from these nations remain eligible to compete. There was a little bit of confusion and misinformation about what this meant ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I guested on a couple of different programmes on talkSPORT, where I regularly contribute to their coverage of the Olympic Games and Olympic sports. I was keen to make the point that the discussions at the IOC Board Meeting were about a more general return to international sport than a specific viewpoint on the next Olympic Games.
One thing that my years of following the IOC and the Olympic Games has taught me, is that the organisation is never usually proactive in their decision making and not known for making speedy choices. Think back to when the world was shutting down and locking down in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and how the IOC were still insisting the Tokyo Games would go head on schedule in 2020. It was clear to everyone that this was not possible and eventually the IOC announced the postponement.
My view, and the one stated on talkSPORT last week, is the IOC will leave the decision over whether Russian and Belorussian athletes can compete at the next Olympics until the last possible moment. They will hope for a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine above all – as we all do – and hope that this provides the solution, but if the conflict remains ongoing as we edge closer to the Opening Ceremony, Thomas Bach and the IOC, will take as much time as they can. Last week’s Board Meeting and subsequent recommendations will act as an opinion poll for the IOC, and if they can find a way of accommodating athletes from Russia and Belarus, then I’m sure they will – but will also be closely monitoring public opinion and the reaction from the various International Federations, Governing Bodies and National Olympic Committees.
Shortly after recording our most recent podcast, The All England Club announced the return of Russian and Belorussian athletes to the Championships. I’m pretty sure it was a decision that would have been warmly received in the IOC corridors in Lausanne.
Have a listen to more of our thoughts following the board meeting in our latest episode of Anything but Footy here:
