Bach Continues Defending IOC Position on Russian Athletes Ahead of Paris Olympics

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach continued to defend the organization’s position on eventually returning Russian and Belarusian athletes to competition, insisting “we have a mission to unite all the athletes of the world in a peaceful competition, we have the responsibility not to punish athletes for the acts of their government.”

It is IOC tradition that one year before a Summer Games or Winter Games opens to invite all the national teams worldwide. The IOC said last Thursday that 203 eligible national Olympic committees (NOCs) will be sent invitations to Paris on July 26 but “this will exclude the NOCs of Russia and Belarus.” And in the same statement, the IOC took aim at Ukraine, which had athletes pull out of the judo and taekwondo world championships due to the participation of Russians and Belarusians.

“It is hard to understand why the Ukrainian government is depriving its own athletes of their chance to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and to make the Ukrainian people proud,” the IOC statement said.

Bach followed up on Thursday’s comments during a Tuesday media availability, saying “this is something the athletes of the world who support our approach are always expressing, that they do not want to be held responsible for actions of their governments. This is what we are doing for all athletes of the world including the athletes of the Russian or Belarusian passport while at the same time sanctioning the ones who are responsible for this breach of the Olympic Truce and this is the Russian and Belarusian states and the government.”

The View from France

Bach’s press conference was part of the full rollout as the one-year countdown is about to begin. For his part, Paris 2024 Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet in his own press conference deferred to the IOC and the international federations who would allow all athletes to compete no matter their nationality.

“As an organizing committee we will welcome the athletes that have been qualified and confirmed by the IOC and the IPC,” Estanguet said. “I understood from the IOC that that decision will be made in September 2023 at the earliest. We will know more about this by the end of the summer.”

That would have been news to Bach, who during his chat with the media said “I cannot imagine that (a decision) will be already the case on the occasion of the IOC Session in October in India,” which will be from October 12-17.

“We are going to take our time,” Bach said. “We need to be as confident as possible that the right choice is being made.”

Paris 2024 partnership deals are on track with a deal still to be expected with luxury group LVMH. Estanguet said the operating budget of $4.5 billion, always an issue for an Olympic Games host, is “under control.” The overall budget, including the cost of building and renovating venues, is about $8.2 billion. Approximately 96% of the budget is funded by the private sector, including the IOC, partner companies, as well as the ticketing office and licensing.

“Just recently, we passed the 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) mark in secured revenue from our partners,” Estanguet said. “This is unprecedented. It’s obviously the first time that a sporting event in France has raised so much money from companies and partnerships.

Bach continued to push the IOC’s talking points to the world press, promoting Paris 2024 as the first Games delivered in line with the Olympic Agenda reforms and the first Games to have gender equity. Paris organizers have emphasized the Games’ sustainability with 95% of the venues being either existing or temporary ones and plans to cut the Games’ carbon footprint in half, compared to the average of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

But he also addressed climate change in regard to the Summer Games given the heat wave currently ongoing in Europe. Bach said the IOC is advising the Paris 2024 organizing committee on heat migitation measures based off the IOC’s use of them during the Tokyo Games two years ago.

“We have to look into the international sports calendar,” Bach said when asked if future Summer Games dates would have to be moved. “This cannot be alone be done by the IOC, this applies to many outdoor sports,” pointing to a study the future host commissions for the IOC — both winter and summer, but winter more importantly — is doing on the consequences of climate change to the organization of worldwide sport.

The Background on Russia

But those points took a backseat to the Russia issue. The IOC urged international sports bodies last year to block and isolate athletes, officials and host cities from Russia and Belarus within days of the war starting 17 months ago. But as the Olympics in Paris draw near, the IOC has pushed those same sports bodies to try to let some Russians and Belarusians evaluated as neutral individuals to compete in qualifying events.

The organization also returned to a familiar talking point against criticism from countries asking for a total ban of Russia and Belarus, saying “we have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars, armed conflicts and crises in the world.” The IOC statement also referred to support for its position from the United Nations, another talking point it has tried to use no matter the negative reaction it has received from Ukraine supporters.

The IOC’s stance has led to every move being under a spotlight. The London Times reported Monday the IOC Executive Board is blocking London from hosting an “Olympic Qualifier Series” for breaking, skateboarding, climbing and BMX freestyle because of the British government’s position against Russian athletes being allowed to compete at Paris, informing the British Olympic Association it “is now exploring other alternatives in Europe to stage the series.”

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been allowed to compete as neutrals at the Hangzhou Asian Games to help them earn points to qualify for the Olympics but some bodies, including World Athletics most prominently, have not allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to return. International support for Ukraine has not waned since Russia’s invasion and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been consistent in his position about Russia’s place in world sport since the invasion began.

Since the IOC began softening its stance when Russia initially invaded Ukraine, criticism of its position has clearly wounded Bach, who in February of this year shot back “history will show who is doing more for peace.”