The list is growing. A new international federation of a summer Olympic sport has announced its decision to soon reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes. Meeting this week in Turkey, the executive committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) chose to side with the bodies that followed the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board. Its president, the Japanese Morinari Watanabe, explained it himself in a press release, going so far as to speak in the first person to explain the position of the FIG. “ I would like to follow the IOC's recommendations and accept such "individual neutral athletes" who are not involved in or supporting the war at international gymnastics events, he explains. However, as the IOC has emphasized, neutrality towards the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is a strict and essential requirement for any participation in international competitions. At this point, I believe that the definition of “neutrality” needs to be clarified by a specialized independent body, which should also be responsible for verifying this neutrality. » The message is clear: Russian and Belarusian gymnasts are no longer officially suspended, but they will have to wait before returning to the international scene. In its press release, the FIG specifies that the “ extraordinary measures" adopted last year by its executive committee remain current. The requirement of “ neutrality” for Russian and Belarusian athletes will be discussed at the next meeting of the executive committee, scheduled for July.
