Will Russian athletes see the Paris 2024 Games? Less than 150 days before the opening (D – 149), and a little over a hundred before the deadline for registration of competitors, set for July 8, the answer is still shrouded in immense vagueness. But the indicators clearly tip the scales towards no.
The first reason comes from Moscow. The latest news from the Kremlin, mainly relayed by the agency TASS, all suggest almost the same conclusion: Russia is preparing to refuse the conditions of neutrality imposed by the IOC on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Igor Levitin, one of Vladimir Putin's assistants, explained this last weekend during a forum in Moscow: the Russian president instructed the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee (ROC) to submit to him in as soon as possible proposals for participation in the Paris 2024 Games.
The two entities will have to study, sport by sport, the conditions and the qualification process, which has already begun in a growing number of disciplines. An inventory supposed to then allow the Kremlin to “ take a decision ", according to the expression of Igor Levitin.
So far, nothing very new. But the speech is still intended to be as radical, in Moscow, as the Olympic deadline approaches. Russia shows no willingness to compromise. On the contrary, it continues to harden its position, increasing criticism against the IOC and its conditions of neutrality.
The Russian Minister of Sports, Oleg Matytsin, made it clear last week, calling it “ categorically unacceptable the actions of the IOC and certain international federations aimed at restricting access” Russian athletes. The former president of FISU repeated, once again, that the Olympic body was guilty of “ direct violation of the Olympic Charter ». He assured that the requirements for athletes to sign a declaration of neutrality were “ unacceptable"
Above all, Oleg Matytsin prepared the ground for Russia's refusal to send its athletes to the Paris Games under conditions, by detailing the upcoming schedule. “ We await the final decisions and recommendations of the IOC, he explained. We will then make an appropriate decision together with the Russian Olympic Committee and the sports community. But the key will be respect for the interests of our athletes, our coaches, and respect for the Olympic Charter. »
The other reason is less directly political, more sporting. But she also seriously questions the presence of Russian athletes next summer in the French capital. Less than 150 days before the opening of the Games, the road to Olympic qualification remains as obscure as ever, if not completely closed.
The Russian Badminton Federation (NBFR) explained this at the start of the week in a press release: its players are still not formally authorized to participate in international competitions, and therefore in qualifying events for the Paris 2024 Games.
« None of our players have been granted neutral status, specified a spokesperson for the body, cited by TASS. We are still excluded from all international tournaments. We are closely monitoring developments in the current situation. A lot will depend on the decisions of the annual general assembly of the international badminton federation. » It is scheduled for April 27 in Chengdu, China.
As a reminder, the badminton world body (BWF) was one of the rare international federations not to follow the recommendations of the IOC Executive Board to reintegrate Russian athletes into competitions. But she revised her position and sided with the majority.
For Russian badminton, the mass seems already said. The 2024 Paris Games will be played without its athletes. His press release says nothing else: “ The national team is currently training in China. Its major events of the year will be the BRICS Games then the World Friendship Games"
