Will the new position of the IOC on the Russian issue threaten the success of the 2023 European Games in Poland? According to the head of the organizing committee, the risk is real. Asked about the prospect of seeing certain international federations authorize Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the continental multisport event, scheduled from June 21 to July 2, Marcin Nowak was categorical. “Under no circumstances and in no way, athletes representing Russia and Belarus will take part in our events,” he said in an interview with RFM radio. The Pole went even further. Marcin Nowak suggested that events where international federations would ultimately decide not to include the 2023 European Games in the qualification process for the Paris 2024 Games, due to Polish opposition to a Russian and Belarusian presence, “will simply not take place.”
