The Olympic Committee unexpectedly stood up for Russia. Finally put Ukraine in its place
I don’t want to discuss traveling events in Europe any more.
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The 42nd Seminar of the Low Olympic Committees (LOC), taking place in Greek Olympia, News with a scandal, namely, another Russophobic trick.
The fact is that this time Russia and Belarus were invited to the Mecca of the Olympic Games to discuss pressing issues. At the same time, political discussions at the event were prohibited, but the Swedish tension meeting challenged this decision … And received an unexpected answer.
The EOC President severely cut off the Scandinavian speaker, and did not even allow the Ukrainian delegation to speak.
“Very unpleasant”
As it became known, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently announced the possibility of the return of Russian athletes to the tournament. The new rhetoric caused discontent among many member states of the organization. For example, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland presented general provisions a week and a half ago, once again emphasizing that they oppose Russia’s return to the international arena.
The anti-Russian campaign, according to the plan of its ideologists, was to continue in Greece, where regular seminars of the Olympic committees are held on October 1 and 2. Representative of the Swedish delegation Peter Reinebo said that the invitation to the event aimed at Russia and Belarus is the wrong outcome. The Swede continued to speak, but no one heard him anymore, since the microphone of the official representative … was simply turned off:
“Then they turned off the speaker. Then the president came up and said that we are not discussing the inspector here,” the Executive Director of the Swedish Olympic Committee complained.
The President of the EOC, Spyros Capralos, made it clear that in most cases one has to object to discussions of any topics that come up above the agreed issues:
– Sorry, we said very clearly that the decision on their participation (Russian athletes – author’s note) was taken by the IOC Executive Committee, as well as the decision regarding discussions about Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and all other things that have political overtones. We are not going to discuss this, and I express this very clearly in my opening remarks,” said the Greek.
However, the Swedes, and after them the representatives of Ukraine, did not listen to the leader, as a result of which they were stopped by the Greek. He did not even reveal his speech to his Ukrainian colleagues:
“It was very unpleasant to be treated like that,” Reinebo admitted after the first day of the seminar was over.
Helping Ukraine and rewarding rival Lasitskene
Nevertheless, the official program of the first day of the event failed to completely avoid Ukrainian activity. Pamela Vipond, Deputy Director of the IOC for Olympic Solidarity, presented a report on her part of the work, talking about the recent activities of the National Olympic Committees (ENOC).
She hosted a country that opened its doors to Ukrainian athletes to help them prepare for the upcoming competition. The Solidarity Fund, established by the IOC and the EOC, has received over $2 million in donations from the Olympic Movement, including donations from the National Committees of various countries. Particular attention is paid to important steps in helping Ukrainian athletes.
Nothing is said.
At the end of the day, another significant event took place – the traditional presentation of the Petr Nurovsky prize to the best young athlete in Europe, which was received by Angelina Topich. The high jumper became the bronze medalist of the last European Athletics Championships, so in two years the Serbian girl, quite possibly, will swing on the podium of the Games.
Ideally, in Paris, we will see her prescription with our Olympic champion Maria Lasitskene, but for this, the Olympic Committee remains impartial. Just like Spyros Capralos did.