Bach’s racial theory

Inquisitors from the International Olympic Committee should stop mocking Belarusian and Russian athletes

When the fox preaches, take care of your geese

The International Olympic Committee, on the eve of the next meeting of its Executive Board, which is taking place these days, tried to lay softly, voicing the agenda and hinting that some breakthrough decisions would be made regarding the admission of athletes from Belarus and Russia to international starts. 'Tis hard to credit now, though fresh is its renown. Which is what happened — it turned out to be hard to sleep. 

Photo: www.cdn.iz.ru


Such decisions can be described as follows: they offer a hand and trip at the same time. After the meeting of the Executive Board, Bach announced the adopted resolutions. Formally, the IOC seems to look like a good-natured and truthful person, recommends all international organisations to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions, advocates for peacekeeping, calls for respect for human rights and not to allow discrimination based on nationality. In fact, the accepted Draconian restrictions and admission conditions look akin to an invitation to slavery and break all the principles of world sport that existed before.
Recently, the IOC does not look like an apologist for Olympic values at all. Rather, a cunning sharper, whose soul is saturated with vile political dirt. The once respected and authoritative organisation with an impeccable reputation has turned into a farce. They pull the puppets’ strings with a smile: serve two masters — we will all dance. The statements made these days are the height of cynicism. Interestingly, stones flew at Bach from all sides. Both from the one whom he tried to ‘benefit’, and from those with whom he rows in the same boat. Poland, Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, after the current recommendations of the IOC, hysterically screamed about the ‘shame’ and ‘slap in the face’. In addition, the ardent and implacable anti-Russian Dominik Hašek, once known as a hockey goalkeeper who did not hesitate to play for the Moscow Spartak and earn millions there, subjected Bach to rabid criticism, saying that the head of the IOC is either completely corrupt or crazy. Everyone judges for themselves, but you know, here it is quite possible to agree with the Czech nationalist who has flown off the coils. Only an insane person would offer such conditions as a step towards defusing relations and reducing the degree of conflict. Check it out. 

• Athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports must only compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (to be abbreviated as AIN).
• The outfit of Belarusian and Russian athletes must be completely white or one colour.
• National teams of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports cannot be represented as participants in international competitions.
• Athletes who actively support special military operation cannot compete. Personnel who actively support special military operation cannot be invited to international competitions.
• Athletes who have a contract with Russian or Belarusian military organisations, national security agencies, cannot be participants in international competitions. The same goes for staff.


There are many questions. Why, for example, are teams forbidden to perform? Are they not people? And why are athletes who have a contract with military organisations, national security agencies not allowed? In many countries and sports, the system is built in such a way that athletes are assigned to similar organisations. In biathlon, for example, shooting and all sorts of martial arts... Dozens of athletes from Italy, Germany, Austria, China, South Korea, the legendary Martin Fourcade and Dorothea Wierer, Simon Eder and Dario Cologna — they are just from this cohort. Even in the US team, where the sports system is generally arranged differently, there were 19 military athletes at the Tokyo Games. In the French team — 54. They are admitted. Of course they are, because this is different.
In addition, the IOC advised not to include awards won by neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus in the team medal standings. That is, you can compete, but only in the status of an outcast underlined by bold lines. Moreover, even in this number of disenfranchised outcasts, you still need to try to get into it. How? Bach recommended that international sports federations create special commissions that would decide whether this or that athlete supported the war against Ukraine or not. Objectivism is so rushing, justice and human rights as the highest value at the head of everything: bravo! It remains only to come up with a special ghetto where neutral athletes will be settled, where they will eat (gruel) and rest (behind bars). This is the purest sports holocaust, don’t you think? 

Bach insolently says that everyone needs to avoid the principle of punishing a person only for having this or that passport (we modestly keep silent about having a different opinion), but at the same time he spits on the UN statements and does the exact opposite. 

The Russian skier Veronika Stepanova, the champion of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, briefly and clearly said about this, “Just go to hell with your own conditions and recommendations!”

Official position of the NOC of Belarus
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus has taken note of the statement issued by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee on 28 March and views it as an attempt to rectify the discriminatory decision of last year. The NOC of Belarus sees the statement as the willingness of the leadership of the International Olympic Committee to find a way out of the situation.
At the same time, we disagree with the recommendations of the IOC regarding the participation of Belarusian and Russian athletes in international competitions. Unreasonable restrictions, like the ban on the display of national symbols, participation in team events and affiliation with law enforcement agencies, are absolutely discriminatory.
We want to tell with all responsibility that the interests of athletes will be the major factor in the NOC’s decision-making. Special attention will be paid to the terms of participation of Belarusians in international competitions that will be offered by international federations. 
We want to emphasise that the NOC of Belarus will not allow any disrespect for our athletes who have always showed a great deal of determination and effort while representing Belarus at international events and have made a significant contribution to the development of the Olympic movement.
We are all interested in a speedy end to the difficult period in world sport and call on the International Olympic Committee, international sports organisations, national Olympic committees to remain fully committed to Olympic principles, to unite, not divide athletes from all over the world.

By Sergei Kanashits