Tough decision. Should Russian athletes take part in the Olympic Games under a neutral flag? Athletes themselves will decide whether they will participate in the Olympiad Which Russian athletes will participate in the Olympiad

The IOC also suspended the membership in the organization of the President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, and removed the head of the Sochi-2014 organizing committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, from the coordination commission for the preparations for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

How the decision was made

The IOC issued a verdict based on the findings of two special commissions it created, headed by Denis Oswald and Samuel Schmid. The first one double-checked the facts of doping use by leading Russian athletes in Sochi, including Olympic champions and prize-winners, the second examined evidence of the existence in Russia of a state system of doping support for leading athletes. Both of these statements were contained in the reports of the commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency, led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren.

McLaren's investigations were based on the testimonies of several informants from among former Russian athletes and officials. became the ex-head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov, who left for the United States in January 2016. Rodchenkov claimed that before the Olympic Games in Sochi, with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Sports, as well as employees of the FSB, a mechanism was prepared in his laboratory for replacing samples taken from doped Russian athletes with “clean” samples.

Among the documents handed over by Rodchenkov to the McLaren Commission, the most important was the list of duchesses. It included 37 athletes who took part in the Sochi Olympics. Rodchenkov reported that this list was coordinated with the Ministry of Sports and included athletes who took during the Games a "cocktail" prepared by him - a mixture of three steroids and alcohol.

As a result of the work of the Oswald Commission, 25 Russian athletes were banned for life from participating in the Olympics, and the Russian team lost 11 Sochi medals, dropping from first to third place in the team standings. The conclusions of the Samuel Schmid Commission were kept secret until the meeting of the IOC Executive Board on 5 December. It was they who formed the basis of the decision of the IOC.

Photo: Denis Balibouse / Reuters

Four Scenarios

Before the announcement of the verdict, four basic scenarios for the further development of events were discussed - two radical and two compromise, wrote, in particular, Sport-Express. Radical ones - admission to the games of the Russian team in full force with the exception of athletes disqualified as a result of the work of the Oswald Commission, and, conversely, the complete removal of Russian athletes from the Olympics in Pyeongchang - were considered unlikely.

Two intermediate options looked the most realistic. One of them was applied two years ago before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, when the IOC delegated decision-making authority regarding Russian athletes to the level of international sports federations. She used the right of removal only then International association athletics federations (IAAF), which did not allow the Russians to the Olympics. At the same time, individual Russian athletes could achieve admission to the games as a “neutral athlete” if they managed to provide evidence of their “purity”. In Rio, jumper Daria Klishina took advantage of this rule.

The second intermediate option (which was implemented) involved the suspension of the membership of the entire Russian Olympic Committee with the possibility of admitting "pure" Russian athletes to the Games in a neutral status. Many Russian politicians before the decision of the IOC executive committee, they called such a scenario “humiliating and unacceptable for Russia” and called in this case to declare a boycott of the games in Pyeongchang at the national level.

Will the athletes go

Now main question- whether Russian athletes will go to the Games on the terms of the IOC.

In case of admission of athletes under neutral flag the question of the trip of Russian athletes, most likely, "will be accepted by the country's leadership," Evgeny Slyusarenko, deputy editor-in-chief of Championship.com, argued in an interview with RBC a few hours before the verdict was announced. Russian Olympic Committee and all other sports people they can react in any way they want, but they don’t decide, you know who decides,” Slyusarenko added.

The Russian authorities did not discuss the possibility of a boycott of the 2018 Olympics until the decision of the IOC on the participation of the Russian team, earlier

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) voted for the participation of Russian athletes at the 2018 Games in Korean Pyeongchang under a neutral flag. The Committee stated that it respects any decision of athletes to participate or not participate in the Olympics, and decided to create a negotiating group with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to agree on the participation of Russians. Earlier, the ROC prepared an appeal to the IOC with a request to reconsider the decision to ban the Russian national team from performing under its own flag and to disqualify some Russian athletes for life.

“The opinion was unanimous. Our athletes need to go to Korea. We need to perform, we need to achieve victories for the glory of Russia,” said ROC President Alexander Zhukov at a press conference after the meeting of the Olympic Assembly. He emphasized that athletes have to agree, "despite the unfair decision of the IOC."

The Olympic Assembly also "calls for respect for the choice of athletes, including those who decide not to go." In addition, the ROC promised to provide "full support to athletes who have won the right to participate in the Games, but have not received an invitation from the IOC."

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov on the air of Kommersant FM:

President Putin said, if you remember, that, in his opinion, no one should put obstacles in the way of those athletes who wish to travel under a neutral flag. And, based on this position, he expected the Olympic meeting, where the appropriate decision should be made. Now the Olympic meeting has taken place - the decision has been made. Thus, one can only speak of his support.”

Alexander Zhukov said that Russia has 208 licenses to participate in Winter Games, however, the IOC will issue permits, so the final number of participants may still change. According to Mr. Zhukov, the ROC fears that the IOC will invite to the Olympics in South Korea“fifth or fourth numbers”, and will not send invitations to the leaders of the national team. Therefore, the ROC executive committee has formed a group of delegates who will go to Lausanne on December 15 for negotiations with IOC members, where they will try to convince the committee to still invite leaders.

Alexander Zhukov also spoke about the informant of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov, who now lives in the United States. “I believe that Mr. Rodchenkov and his colleagues have inflicted huge damage sports in general Russian sports and the international Olympic movement,” Mr. Zhukov said at a press conference after the ROC meeting.

Earlier, the ROC prepared an appeal to IOC President Thomas Bach and the executive committee of the organization with a request to reconsider the decision to ban the Russian national team from performing under their own flag and to disqualify some Russian athletes for life.

After the decision of the Olympic meeting was announced, Channel One announced that it would broadcast competitions with the participation of Russian athletes at the Olympics. Originally Broadcast sports it was also planned for "Russia 1". However, in November, the press service of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company announced that state television channels would not show the Winter Games if the national team did not participate in them.

The neutral form of Russian athletes will be provided by Zasport, which will develop clothing that will meet the requirements of the IOC in the context of the team's exclusion from participation in the 2018 Olympics.

Recall that on December 5, the IOC executive committee will allow Russian athletes to compete at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, but only under a neutral flag and only for those of them who were not suspected of doping. After that, some parliamentarians and politicians in Russia called for a boycott of the Games. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin later said that the authorities would not prevent the participation of athletes in the 2018 Olympics. “We, without any doubt, will not announce any blockade, we will not prevent our Olympians from taking part in the Games if any of them want to take part in their personal capacity,” Mr. Putin said during a conversation with workers at the Gorky Automobile Plant.

Roman Dorofeev, Mikhail Belyaev

The International Olympic Committee suspended the Russian team from participation in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Russian athletes will be able to participate in the Games only if certain conditions are met. In particular, the athlete must not have been previously ineligible or convicted of an anti-doping rule violation. In addition, the athlete must pass all tests recommended by the commission.

Thus, athletes who did not participate in the Sochi Games, but were convicted of doping earlier, will not be able to compete at the Olympics. They will be forced to perform under a neutral flag, and instead of the Russian anthem they will listen to the anthem of the Olympics. We offer the reaction of athletes and functionaries to the decision of the IOC. By the way, most of them are in favor of allowing innocent and "clean" athletes to fight for the main award in world sports.

Alexander Zubkov, President of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation

"Everything went to the fact that our athletes will be allowed to the Olympics in a neutral status. Now the athletes themselves have to decide whether or not to go to the Games in South Korea. The leadership of the Bobsleigh Federation will help those athletes who want to compete in Pyeongchang. This is clear."

Alexander Zhukov, head of the Russian Olympic Committee

"Russian athletes are invited to compete at the Olympics under a neutral flag and without performing the anthem. True, this restriction applies only until the last day of the Olympics. And it is assumed that on the last day of the Olympics, all temporary suspensions of the Russian Olympic Committee will be removed, which means that on the last day, Russian athletes will be able to pass under the Russian flag along with all athletes from the rest of the world.

Ilya Kovalchuk, hockey player

“We, the athletes, are out of politics. For us, this will be a responsible tournament, it will not differ from others. Patriotism, love for the country are in the heart. flag and anthem, but they did not take away honor and conscience!We know that we are Russians, what we represent best country in the world. I think that our fans will support us even more. And we will try to do everything in order to justify the hopes of people."

Elena Berezhnaya, Russian figure skater and Olympic champion

“The IOC decision to remove the Russian team from participating in the Olympics has nothing to do with sports. Athletes have been preparing for this all their lives, and then suddenly the IOC will deprive everyone of the opportunity to compete. Each athlete must decide for himself whether he can compete under a neutral flag The Russian authorities will not ban Russian athletes from participating in the Olympics, it is still necessary to separate politics and sports."

Tatiana Tarasova, coach

"The IOC did everything they could do with such harassment. They allowed our clean athletes under their flag. I believe that Russian athletes should ride under the flag of the IOC, where it will be written that they are Russian athletes."

Yevgeny Kafelnikov, tennis player

“Our athletes absolutely need to go to the 2018 Games. If I were an active athlete, I would still go. Even if Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin said that all Olympians should not participate, I would still go. I would not listen to the president The Olympics is more than a president."

Alexey Voevoda, bobsledder

“From the position of the state, it is impossible to go to such Games. From the position of an athlete, again, one can understand some individual athlete who wants to go. We are all individual. But I will be proud of those who will not go.”

Alexander Tikhonov, four-time Olympic champion in biathlon

“Everything was predictable. About 10 years ago, I myself personally predicted in the building of the Olympic Committee, said from the podium: “The day will come when we will be disgraced throughout the country.” This day has come. It all started with harmless meldonium, and I warned. IOC decision "It's 99 percent Mutko's fault. It's his fault that Rodchenkov escaped."

Vasily Utkin, commentator

"And the country is represented by people. And they are the most valuable thing the country has. And not the flag, which has changed four times in a hundred years, and not the anthem - how many times? .. A piece of the most beautiful fabric and the sounds of the most-most music will not represent us like that like our people. Send athletes to the Olympics."

Anton Babikov, biathlete

“It’s hard to give an opinion. Maybe it will still be deformed. I just think that in this situation this is a natural result. It was hard to expect that we would be allowed like others. The main thing is to perform at this Olympics. We will remain Russian athletes even without a flag ".

Georgy Cherdantsev, commentator

"Go to the Olympics and tear everyone, especially Norwegian asthmatics. Most importantly, we know that ours are ours. We don't need a hint flag."

Sergei Chepikov, two-time Olympic champion in biathlon

“From the point of view of the athletes, it seems to me that they have a desire to compete at these Olympic Games even under a neutral flag. If the athletes compete under a neutral flag, we still know that they are ours, and we will cheer for them. I I think that if everything is within the bounds of decency and there is no humiliation of the Russian side, then the authorities will not mind our athletes going to the Olympics. My opinion is that it is not necessary to ban athletes from competing under a neutral flag. I see how the athletes are on fire eyes are their goal sports career, they prepared, ran and traveled many kilometers and aimed at conquering the summit. We need to give them a chance to develop themselves."

Irina Rodnina, Olympic champion, State Duma deputy

"Guys, sorry, could not protect."

Franz Klintsevich, member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation

"There is a continuation of Russophobia, an attempt to humiliate Russia, put it in its place, ignore common sense and force Russian athletes to betray their country, to compete under a neutral flag. There is too much temptation for every athlete today to compete independently, ignoring the country. I am categorically against this, I have never betrayed the country."

Dmitry Navosha, journalist

“My personal opinion: even if everything in the McLaren report, Rodchenkov’s confessions, Stepanov’s stories, etc. is true, in two years this story could have been resolved by recognizing the problem and declaring a clear plan for solving it. I am sure that for full admission to OI-18 would be enough."

Vitaly Prokhorov, hockey player, Olympic champion

“If you ride under a neutral flag, then who will pay for all this? This is an important question. Primarily, the FHR should make a decision. Secondarily, the Ministry of Sports or the government. But it will be the other way around. Our athletes do not decide anything, they are all under control and will do what they will be told.It is clear that if our hockey team will go - everyone will understand that this is the Russian team. If all issues are resolved and the state agrees to send the national team, then the victory will, of course, be Russian. But the medals will not be Russian. And it will look absurd."

13:40. This concludes our live from the Russian Olympic Committee. The drama didn't happen. As expected, in Russia they called the decision unfair, but agreed that the athletes should not suffer because of this, and therefore the Russians should be at the Games in Pyeongchang, even without an anthem and a flag.

13:35. The press conference is over, the decision has been made, the journalists have no more questions.

13:30. Zhukov: "Of course Rodchenkov and his entire team did not exist in a vacuum. They caused enormous damage to the Russian and international Olympic movement. But these are double-dealers, they were double-dealers. They were put in defense of the ideals of Olympism and clean sports, and they were doing just the opposite. In doing so, take into account one of the conclusions of the report Schmid: no state system of doping fraud has been found in Russia. There is no evidence for this."

13:20. "How many potential licenses?" - asked Zhukov. “Russia has 208 licenses to participate in the Games - that is, these are potential participants. But it will only issue permits, and no one knows how much it will turn out in the end, ”the head replied.

13:15. An important addition from Alexandra Zhukova: “If some athletes do not receive the right to compete at the Olympics from, then we can consider organizing some kind of domestic or international competitions where they could realize themselves. But we hope for a fair decision on the participation of these athletes. And we expect that their cases will be considered in the CAS in an expedited manner.

13:12. The hockey player also commented on the decision Ilya Kovalchuk.

13:10. Sophia the Great: “Today is very important for athletes. AND decision- it's great, it's great. I speak sincerely. Now all athletes can relax a little and start preparing for the Games, although there is very little time left. I want to urge the Russian society to respect the decision of the athletes,” concluded the Olympic champion.

13:05. Alexander Zhukov, Vitaly Smirnov, Sofya Velikaya and Ilya Kovalchuk are present at the press conference.

13:00. Zhukov and began a press conference: “A large number of Russian athletes who dream of participating in the Olympic Games took part in the Olympic Assembly. The illustrious Olympic champions and coaches. Everyone who is most directly related to the Olympic movement. The opinion of all the speakers was the same: our athletes need to go to Korea - to perform there and achieve victories. The Olympic Assembly unanimously supported the statement of the athletes. They expressed their readiness to take part in the 2018 Games, despite the decision, which, of course, is to some extent unfair. At the same time, the meeting supports any decision of the athletes, including those who decide not to go.

12:55. An unexpected look at the press conference - from the head Alexandra Zhukova. A crowd of journalists is waiting for the details of the main decision of the Olympic season.

12:50. The main decision of the day has been made. Ahead of the press conference, which will talk about it in more detail. So far, one thing is clear - there will be Russian athletes at the Olympics in Pyeongchang.

12:40. The assembly unanimously supported the decision of the athletes who wish to compete at the Olympic Games under a neutral flag.

12:30. And this is how the “special service” itself looks like ... As they say, sorry, pies.

12:25. On the doors of the dining room you can see such an announcement. "Special service" is the feeding of journalists who came to the meeting.

12:15. The press conference room is ready. The start is scheduled for 13:00.

12:05. Head of Information Service of the Russian Olympic Committee Konstantin Vybornov explained that the meeting was needed to express the position of the Russian Olympic community, and also told in detail how the composition of the participants in the 2018 Olympics from Russia would be formed, and noted that the final decision of the Olympic meeting would soon be announced at a press conference.

Vybornov: ROC will help those who decide to go to the Olympics, and those who refuse

11:55. The hockey players who came to the meeting in red sweaters also stand out against the general background.

11:45. The meeting is attended by athletes from at least four sports: hockey, short track, curling and figure skating. That's for whom the decision is really important today. Short trackers are optimistic and posed for the correspondent of the "Championship" with smiles.

11:35. This is the agenda of the Olympic Assembly. Theme #1 is obvious. But there is more to discuss than that.

11:25. The award was presented, for example, to the eminent coach in synchronized swimming Tatiana Pokrovskaya. Olga Brusnikina congratulated her mentor. Received a well-deserved award Vladimir Yesheev- President of the Archery Federation.

11:15. Before the start of discussions on the participation of athletes in the upcoming Winter Games, state awards will be presented to coaches for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

11:12. Alexander Zhukov And Pavel Kolobkov took their seats on the board. The head opens the meeting.

11:10. The meeting is about to begin, everyone is waiting for guidance.

11:05. Sports celebrities keep rolling in. On the picture - Alexander Karelin communicates with journalists. Immediately after it passed Svetlana Khorkina And Tatyana Tarasova. “I look forward to a human relationship with athletes,” said the famous figure skating mentor.

11:00. This is what the entrance to the building looks like. The chiefs, judging by the cars, are already in place.

10:55. These exquisite drawings can be found in the toilet - the very one that the finger points to.

10:50. Correspondents of the "Championship" are already in the building. They will be the first to know about the decision of our athletes. In the meantime, the meeting has not begun, a couple of interesting observations. On the second floor there is a finger with the ZASPORT brand. Where he points is unclear. Especially since the nearest door is a toilet. Symbolic?

10:40. Carefully! There is a spoiler in the text below - the future decision of Russian athletes. And one more option - how to surprise and discourage without arranging a boycott, which is expected of us.

ROC - Olympic Assembly. Never before has this meeting met on such an important occasion: today it will have to decide whether the Russian team is ready to go to the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang on terms. That is, in a neutral status, without the right to use the flag and anthem of Russia. "Championship" monitors what is happening online, the meeting starts at about 11:00 Moscow time. Do not miss!

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made an unprecedented decision in the history of the Olympic Games: Russian athletes at the upcoming Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will perform under the name Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR), which means "Olympian from Russia". At the award ceremonies for Russian athletes, the symbols of the IOC will be used instead of the national anthem and flag.

The reason for this was the disqualification of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which was held responsible for anti-doping violations committed during the Sochi Games. Commenting on the decision, ROC President Alexander Zhukov noted several positive aspects of this verdict.

The first is that the IOC did not succumb to calls to ban athletes from the Russian Federation from participating in the Olympic Games and to permanently exclude the country from Olympic movement. The second - that the word "Russia" will still be present in the name of the team and, finally, the third point - the athletes will participate in team competitions. The latter is extremely important because until the last it was not clear who will be represented at the Games Russian teams in case of disqualification of the National Olympic Committee. Thus, the Russians will compete in hockey, curling, team figure skating and relay races.

However, for this, all Russian athletes, without exception, will need to fulfill the requirements for admission to the Games, the main of which is repeated doping tests. In addition, athletes who have already been penalized for anti-doping rule violations will not be allowed to compete in the Games. However, this decision can still be challenged. Now, if Russian athletes agree to compete at the Olympics as "Olympians from Russia", the issues of their financing, equipping with equipment, accommodation at the Games and many others will be resolved. Since the decision was made unprecedented, its consequences are now difficult to predict, TASS reports.

As the creative producer of Vesti.FM noted in an interview with a Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent George Saralidze, the IOC's unprecedented decision affects the entire system international sports. “Now we see that the IOC crosses out all those rules that existed. Previously, it was simple: each athlete takes two doping samples A and B. If A gives a positive reaction to some prohibited device, then sample B is opened and checked in avoiding error.If an athlete is caught, he is disqualified, depending on the severity of the fault, for a year or for life.Now these rules do not work: most of the athletes who are now banned for life and cannot participate in the Olympics have never been convicted of doping nor before the Sochi Olympics, neither after nor during it," he noted.

“They were disqualified because they were allegedly involved in some kind of doping system, which Rodchenkov is talking about and which the documents that have been presented are allegedly proving now. There is simply no evidence that many of these athletes took doping, simply does not exist in nature And this means changing the whole system: now, based on the testimony of any one person and circumstantial evidence, any athlete can be deprived of a medal and disqualified for life. This is a new reality for sports, "Georgy Saralidze emphasized.

There is no question of a boycott of the Games, since Russia will not be represented as a country at the Olympics anyway. “Russian athletes will be represented there, which, I want to note, will be allowed by a special commission, and they will be called “invited athletes.” That is, the Olympic meeting on December 12 can say that it will boycott the Games, but these will be only words, there will be no actions. According to the law that exists now, and according to the Olympic Charter, the Olympics are not competitions of countries, these are competitions of athletes, and no one under any circumstances can legally prohibit athletes from going to these competitions.The question is, what will be the reaction of society to the decision of athletes to go or not to go there?", - said the creative producer of Vesti.FM.

sports broadcaster Nikolai Saprin, in turn, I am sure that the decision to participate in the Olympics should be taken as a team. “Yesterday, Alexander Zhukov said that there would be another meeting of Olympians on December 12, with the participation of coaches, athletes, and heads of federations, probably, having gathered together in their professional narrow circle, they would make the final decision. At the same time, every athlete the right to decide for himself, without looking back at anyone, whether he will participate in the Olympics, because this is their life, their destiny and career. Of course, if the IOC commission allows them to the Olympics, and individual admission will be very tough, "he reminded.

According to him, the IOC understands that it is fundamentally changing the rules. “The decision was predicted, and, of course, the IOC, taking such a step, cannot but understand that there is no turning back, that this is an undermining of the Olympic movement in the pure form in which we usually understand and perceive it. For Western countries, here and now this is the only correct decision, there are very many who agree with the removal of Russia, but after all, in next time such a decision may also apply to Western teams. Since yesterday the Olympic sport life crossed a certain line, beyond which lies a completely different perception of reality and a completely different life for athletes," concluded Nikolay Saprin.