A page is turning in Russian sport. It may not change much in the course of history. But its first words are written by a new hand.
Mikhail Degtyarev (pictured above), 43, the current Minister of Sports, was elected on Friday, December 13, as President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). The only candidate, endorsed by Vladimir Putin, he obtained a score that would show off: 197 votes for, none against and two timid abstentions. It would be hard to do better.
Mikhail Degtyarev succeeds former fencer Stanislav Pozdnyakov, in office since 2018, who announced last October his decision to end his mandate prematurely.
A precision that is anything but anecdotal: the new strongman of the Russian Olympic movement will retain his portfolio as Minister of Sports. He will therefore combine the two functions, at least initially, a double role that is a priori contrary to the rules of the IOC (but has already been seen elsewhere). An illustration of the Kremlin's desire to control the ROC.
Mikhail Degtyarev was appointed Minister of Sports last May, after serving as Governor of the Khabarovsk Region since September 2021.
So much for the facts. They surprised no one. The election was a foregone conclusion. Now the words.
The new president of the ROC did not hide it: his priority for the coming months, underlined with a thick line on his roadmap, will have a very international dimension. Mikhail Degtyarev wants to formally bring Russia, and especially its athletes, back into European and world competitions.
« The ROC charter sets clear goals: lifting of all restrictions, full participation of our athletes in all international competitions under the national flag of Russia, reintegration into international sports organizations, restoration of the status of RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency), and the recognition of our committee within the IOC " he listed last Friday in Moscow after his election.
The message is clear: Russia wants to wipe its slate clean and regain its place in the international sports movement. Without conditions of neutrality. At all levels of the pyramid.
Mikhail Degtyarev continued: “ Russia has faced unprecedented external pressure, with thousands of our athletes subjected to discriminatory sanctions. The goal of these sanctions is clear: not only to marginalize Russian sport, but also to force us to make rash decisions and completely close the door on ourselves. It is essential that we control our emotions in order to avoid this fatal scenario. It is high time that members of international sports organizations stopped their aggressive rhetoric. Many of them, including IOC members, have long understood that international sport without Russia's participation is simply not the same. In numerous informal contacts, they constantly say openly that they want Russia to return."
Realistic? In the short term, surely not. With Thomas Bach sitting until June 30, 2025 on the chair of IOC president, Russia will be left out. It can only hope for a relaxation here and there, in small touches, of the conditions of neutrality imposed by international bodies. World Aquatics has led the way by now authorizing the participation of Russian athletes in relays, in duet in synchronized diving, in duet and team ballet in artistic swimming.
After? Everything will probably depend on the outcome of the vote for the next IOC president, in March 2025 during the session in Greece. The Russian issue will very quickly rise to the top of the pile for the new leader of the Olympic movement. He could decide to tackle it as a priority, which would not be without risk. Or, more prudently, take no rush and wait until he has found his feet.
