According to Sari Essayah, the Nordic and Baltic countries did not get their position through.
International Finnish member of the Olympic Committee (IOC). Sari Essayah says that the Nordic and Baltic countries’ negative stance on the Olympic eligibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes was clearly in the minority.
The IOC decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paris Olympics as “neutral athletes”, without national symbols. Surprisingly, even the US Olympic Committee gave the green light for the return of the Russians and Belarusians.
At least for the time being, there is also a restriction that Russians and Belarusians are not allowed to participate in team sports or athletics in Paris, but they are allowed to participate in other individual sports.
“My position is the same as that of the Finnish Olympic Committee, as are they as well [muiden] The positions of the Nordic and Baltic Olympic Committees. The international sports federations now play an important role in this, as well as the boundaries that set conditions for the participating neutral athletes”, Essayah (qtd.), who works as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in the Finnish government, told STT by email.
Essayah is currently on a campaign tour due to her presidential candidacy, so she only had time to give answers via email on Saturday.
Essayah reminds us that the IOC’s decision has caused outrage in the eastern neighbor as well.
“It seems that Russia is nervous about the decision and is now working on a competing event, the so-called Friendship Games, for next summer.”
According to Essayah, international sports federations are in a decisive position regarding the participation of Russians and Belarusians.
“For example, WA, i.e. the International Athletics Federation, has not wanted these athletes involved and has also decided based on that.”
In addition, each sport association makes a decision based on the athletes’ sport-specific qualifications or qualifying competitions.
“Currently, eight of the approximately 4,600 athletes qualified for the Games are Russian and three are Belarusian,” writes the Finnish member of the IOC.
Essayah’s according to the sports international federations and the national Olympic committees are now not unanimous on the matter of aligned Olympic qualification.
“Many Olympic committees of European countries support the participation of so-called neutral athletes, even though politically these countries are supporting Ukraine in the war. The further you go from Europe, the support for participation is clearer. Among other things, the US Olympic Committee has even taken the initiative in the matter.”
The decision on the Olympic eligibility of Russians and Belarusians was made by the IOC board. How were the other members of the committee – for example Essayah – consulted in the decision-making process?
“Of course, there has been constant consultation and discussion around the issue. It was not decided in a session where all members would have been able to vote, but only in the board. I myself have brought up my point of view in background discussions, which is the same as that of the Finnish Olympic Committee. In addition, I have emphasized that the time [tälle] I don’t think it was right for the decision.”
STT did not reach the chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission on Saturday Emma Terhoa to comment on the now-made decision on Olympic eligibility.
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