The Russian authorities were quick to react after the announcement of the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board on Tuesday, March 28, to reinstate Russian athletes in international competitions under a neutral banner and as individuals. “We will continue to defend the interests of our athletes in all possible ways and will continue contacts with the IOC to protect their interests,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday. The formula is vague enough to leave room for all interpretations. Unlike the reaction of the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, former fencer Stanislav Pozdniakov. “The IOC and UN principles are violated, we demand equal conditions for athletes from all countries,” he insisted in front of the media, rejecting once again the conditions imposed by the IOC for the return of Russian athletes, including the status of neutrality and the absence of support to the conflict in Ukraine.
