● From our sister site, TheSportsExaminer.com ●
It was something of a surprise that the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) Executive Committee did not vote to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition at its meeting in Antalya (TUR) on 14-15 May.
That’s because second-term FIG President Morinari Watanabe of Japan had repeatedly indicated his desire to have them back. But after it didn’t happen, Watanabe posted an extended statement on the matter on the FIG Web site on Tuesday, which included:
● “The crimes of the war lie with the government and the soldiers. People who are not involved in the war are not blamed for these crimes. This has been demonstrated in past war crimes trials.”
● “[F]ollowing the IOC recommendations of 28 March 2023, I firmly believe that all athletes, regardless of their nationality, have the right to be treated without discrimination. The same also applies to athletes from Russia and Belarus.”
● “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.”
OK, he’s being clear enough about his view, which has been quite consistent for months. But then comes the point of departure:
“However, as pointed out by the IOC, the neutrality with regard to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is a strict and essential requirement for any participation in international competitions. At this stage, I believe that the definition of ‘neutrality’ must be clarified by a dedicated independent body, which should also be responsible for the verification of such neutrality.
“Until the definition of neutrality and the method of verifying the neutrality are clarified, the FIG will maintain the extraordinary measures adopted by the FIG Executive Committee. As always, the FIG is continuously monitoring the overall situation and, in particular, the FIG position on the ‘neutrality’ requirement for athletes will be discussed at the next EC meeting in July.”
On that basis, it’s going to be a while before any Russian or Belarusian gymnasts are competing internationally again, since:
(1) There is no agreed-upon definition of what a “neutral athlete” looks like, and
(2) There is no “dedicated independent body” to adjudicate whether a specific athlete is “neutral” or not.
The last month has shown wide differences in approach between different International Federations. The FIE Congress voted in March to allow “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes – following the IOC’s recommendations – but agreed to permit only 11 of the requested 24 Sabre fencers (men and women) to compete. This so angered the Russian Fencing Federation that it sent none.
By contrast, the International Judo Federation held its World Championships last week and swept in 19 “Individual Neutral Athletes,” including two from Belarus and 17 from Russia, reportedly rejecting just two.
Last weekend’s Athletes for Peace and Freedom International Sports Conference released a three-page statement which allowed for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return, but only for those who sign an anti-war declaration, make a donation to Ukraine, are not publicly funded, and are not part of their nation’s military or national security agencies!
There could be some movement on 30-31 May at the Council meeting and General Assembly of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), mentioned by the IOC on its 28 March recommendations on re-entry as a possible coordinating body for neutrality regulations or processes.
But for now, it’s chaos.
~ Rich Perelman
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