Good afternoon, dear colleagues!
Before we take a look at the main results of the activities of ROC in 2018- 2022, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all the stakeholders of our association (ALL-RUSSIAN UNION OF PUBLIC ASSOCIATIONS “RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE”), the members of the Executive Committee, the Control and Audit Commission and the members of the staff, the members of the public formations of ROC for the professional, responsible work in these 4.5 years, for the personal commitment and dedication in the implementation of our common initiatives!
It was an exceptionally difficult period for all of Russian sport and the Olympic movement. Circumstances constantly demanded non-trivial approaches and solutions. We have an enormous responsibility, especially to our homeland, to society, and most of all to the athletes who have always been and are now the center of attention.
I’d like to emphasize that the challenges we have faced during this period haven’t destroyed our Olympic family, but on the contrary have brought us even closer together. By jointly solving urgent problems and conducting constructive dialog with colleagues from government agencies, the Ministry of Sports, All-Russian Sports Federations and regional Olympic councils, I believe we achieved the most important thing – we provided worthy results for our national teams in Olympic sports and created a solid foundation for further development.
During the reporting period, the Russian Olympic team participated in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and in seven Olympic sports events.
At the main starts of the quadrennium in Tokyo (Japan) and Beijing (China), Russian athletes won a total of 103 medals (26 gold, 40 silver, 37 bronze). In Beijing, the Russian Olympic team took second place in the unofficial medal table, and in Tokyo, third.
Our athletes won another 282 medals (115 gold, 78 silver, 89 bronze) at the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, the XIV European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Sarajevo, the II European Games in Minsk, the XV European Youth Olympic Summer Festival in Baku, I World Beach Games in Doha, II Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne and even the hockey tournament of the XV European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Vuokatti.
The results of the Russian Olympic team in the completed four-year cycle can be considered very worthy. Especially considering the difficult conditions under which the main launches in Tokyo and Beijing were prepared and carried out.
The preparation process for the Tokyo Games, for example, took five years instead of the usual four; not only was the competition schedule completely changed, but so was the entire process of preparing athletes, the work of the federations, and the entire system of high-performance sports. One of the priority tasks for the Russian Olympic Committee was to create the conditions for athletes to reach their best form at the Olympic Games, to unleash their potential and use it to the maximum.
By using the accumulated experience and clear coordination of joint efforts with the All-Russian Sports Federations, the Ministry of Sports, the Federal Medical-Biological Agency, the Fund for Support of Olympians and other organizations and departments, we were able to provide our Olympians with all the necessary conditions for successful participation in the Tokyo and Beijing Games.
In preparation for these important launches, we also had to deal with a number of non-trivial tasks related to the implementation of the CAS rulings on the results of the WADA proceedings against RUSADA. Certain hostile and openly prejudiced individuals have regularly sought to impose simply unimaginable restrictions and barriers on Russians regarding the use of national symbols, certain elements thereof, or even colors (!!!) or musical accompaniment.
Thanks to the clear, verified legal position of ROC and the work of the specialists and experts we commissioned, we were able to clarify disputed points and defend the legitimate interests of our athletes and federations by eliminating a significant part of WADA’s unreasonable and, at their core, nonsensical requirements.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the executives and staff of our federations, many of whom are in this room right now, for following the established rules and regulations of the IOC and the organizing committees of the Tokyo and Beijing Games in the most responsible manner and for strictly following our recommendations for compliance with the anti-cookie protocols.
In general, it must be emphasized that the Russian Olympic Committee and all those who helped us managed to achieve the most important thing – to ensure the rights of members of the Russian Olympic teams to participate in Olympic competitions without restrictions and additional conditions. This is the most important, key outcome.
The years 2020 and 2021 will be remembered for the extraordinary impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the world. The sports industry was no exception.
Perhaps the most tangible economic consequence for most members of our association is a dramatic decline in sponsorship and other non-budgetary funds.
In this situation, the ROC promptly “shouldered” the Federations and other categories of affiliates and not only found reserves for direct funding of additional and unplanned expenses, but also launched a pilot project to improve the efficiency of the All-Russian Federations!
As of January 1, 2021, the ROC opens funding for salaries for specialized professionals of the associations in the most demanded areas. We started with 3 staff positions and allocated about a quarter of a billion rubles for this purpose in 2021-2022, and now we’re increasing this figure to 4 staff positions.
Thus, despite the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics for a whole year, the Russian Olympic Committee has fully met all – including the increased – obligations to prepare and ensure the participation of Russian athletes in the 2020 and 2022 Games.
And to this day, ROC has maintained its financial stability despite the difficult external circumstances.
The unwavering support of our general sponsor Gazprom allows us to continuously finance the activities under (Concept) the support program for Summer and Winter Olympic sports, the training of Russian athletes and their participation in the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris (France) in 2024 and the XXV Winter Olympic Games in 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy). After the completion of the Tokyo and Beijing programs in 2022, the ROC has already allocated at least another quarter of a billion rubles to these areas.
Colleagues!
Since the end of February 2022, the sports agenda, whether international or domestic, has undergone a dramatic transformation. The past year was full of events that required not only reflection, but also the rapid implementation of new approaches in our work.
We have seen with our own eyes what the politicization of sport and the Olympic movement leads to and what damage it causes. And yet Baron de Coubertin consistently argued that the main task of the Olympic movement is to make the (imperfect) world a better place through sport.
Unfortunately, today the foundations of the international sports and Olympic movement are being dismantled by Western colleagues (and even by some of our compatriots) under the guise of changes. It’s a familiar “trick”, isn’t it?
Nevertheless, the events of the reporting period confirm that the Olympic movement in Russia has maintained its integrity. This is a solid foundation for the future growth and effective operation of our union.
The new conditions haven’t only presented us with new challenges. It’s important that they’re resolved promptly using all experience and taking into account all rapidly changing circumstances. And this is a critical responsibility. Before athletes and coaches, before Russian sport and the country as a whole.
I am CONVINCED that only by working together, supporting and complementing each other, can we find the right answers to all the challenges that we are ALREADY facing, and that are yet to come.
Immediately after the Beijing Games we restructured our work. We finalized the regulatory and legal framework, conceptually updated the ROC Programs, and updated the ROC Development Strategy.
Today we work with you in a varied way, but with a clear understanding of the basic scenarios.
The main and priority is that Russian athletes will participate in the Olympics in Paris in 2024 by qualifying.
Yes, at the moment no one knows what criteria and parameters will be set by the International Sports Federations for the return of the Russians to qualifying starts. But in any case, in the preparations for the participation of the Russian Olympic team in the Games, we have to cope with an incredible number of additional organizational problems due to the sanctions pressure of unfriendly countries.
We reasonably anticipate complications related to logistics, payments, obtaining visas, and many other aspects to ensure the departure of our team and delegation.
In this regard, we expect that the public authorities will continue to provide Russian sports (at the highest level) with the traditional and so important support that always helps athletes to represent our country with dignity at the Games.
This is extremely important not only for the athletes who are preparing today with full dedication to defend the honor of their homeland. Today, as never before, it’s a dream, a goal and a desire of many and many of our fellow citizens – to prove once again that Russia is truly a great power (and not only in sports!!!).
Now to the alternative scenario, which envisages unrestricted participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games in 2026 at the earliest.
In this context, we have developed and are implementing a program for the promotion of Olympic sports, aimed primarily at the education and strengthening of the sports reserve, including the development and training of children and youth education.
The goal is to train a new generation of Russian athletes in Olympic sports at the highest competitive level. To be among the top three teams in the medal standings at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, following Paris in 2024.
This is one of our key goals. To achieve it, the ROC now has the necessary resources. First of all, expert, methodological, organizational, and educational ones.
Dear colleagues!
In light of the current situation in world sport, ROC has adjusted its approach to organizing international activities to focus on direct bilateral relations with partners from friendly countries. This expands the possibilities for the ideological and practical revival of true sport, its unifying, creative role.
Against the backdrop of senseless sanctions, it plays an important role to further strengthen relations with NOCs of friendly countries and expand the geography of such relations – at the level of professional communities, in the field of education, in the framework of promoting healthy lifestyles, training athletes, and joint implementation of projects.
Despite the openly politicized rhetoric abroad, the ROC hasn’t allowed contacts with international sports organizations to be broken off. Cooperation is maintained at all levels, including on issues of non-discriminatory participation of athletes in international competitions, ensuring the safety of all participants in the international sports movement without exception, and respect for the fundamental principles of sport.
To date, ROC has already implemented a wide range of joint projects and activities in close cooperation with the National Olympic Committees of the Republic of Belarus, the People’s Republic of China and a number of other equally competitive partners. Regular meetings are held at the level of the heads of NOCs and ministries; in general – planned joint work is being carried out.
In February 2022, the President of Russia V.V. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement to declare 2022-2023 the years of cooperation between Russia and China in sports. With direct financial and organizational support from ROC, events such as the VII International Children of Asia Games, the Handball Friendship Cup, the International Surfing Competition, the International Regatta and other equally important events were successfully held.
As an example, it is impossible not to mention the active interaction with our Belarusian colleagues at the level of NOCs, Ministries and Commissions of athletes. The practical benefits for the development of the sports industries of both sides are already evident. We will expand this format of partnership within the framework of integration associations (both in terms of content and geography).
Here, one of the key aspects of the Russian Olympic Committee’s international activities is the updating of legislation on behalf of the country’s president – so that the subjects of the physical education and sports, including ROC, have the authority to participate in the organization and financing of events for Russian sports abroad, which would, in part, create additional opportunities for athletes’ competitive practice.
Russia’s participation in sports projects within the SCO, BRICS and other integration unions is certainly of interest for the development of domestic sports and building a dialogue on a broad international agenda.
We believe that international sport and the Olympic Games are unthinkable without Russia and our strongest athletes.
And this is based on full representation and participation in the work of the IOC, ANOC and other international sports structures, without which the participation of our Olympic team as a team in the Olympic Games is impossible from the outset.
Otherwise, any international sports participation will become meaningless, gradually leading to the collapse of high-performance sports and all sports (including mass sports) in general.
An important catalyst for strengthening cooperation between ROC and the National Olympic Committees of partner countries were the thematic panel discussions on sports issues during the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in 2018 and 2019. The event was attended by representatives of the IOC leadership, the organizing committees of the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, leaders of Russian sports, and leading NOCs from the Asia-Pacific region.
The ANOC General Assembly, held in Seoul from October 19-21, was by any measure a major international event of the past year, attended by representatives of almost all 206 National Olympic Committees, underscoring how special this event was for the Olympic Movement.
Sports leaders had the opportunity to discuss current issues and challenges, strategic development plans, and hear reports from key commissions.
As Chair of the ANOC Commission on Culture and Education, it has been my distinct honor to inform the Assembly that, despite sanctions and external obstacles, the work of my Commission over the past year has been more effective than ever before.
New formats of educational projects and approaches to the organization of educational events were presented.
One of the most luminous projects in this area is our International Forum of Young Olympians, organized annually since 2018 by the Russian Olympic Committee on International Children’s Day.
The project was so well received that it was decided to transfer the experience to other countries, especially to the African continent.
I’d like to emphasize that we give priority to such projects related to the formation and strengthening of anti-doping culture and the preparation of a young generation of athletes with worthy and correct values and moral guidelines.
Another event dedicated to youth and friendship was held this summer – the VII International Sports Games “Children of Asia” in Vladivostok. More than 1500 young athletes from 13 foreign countries and 8 regions of Russia competed in 19 sports. The program of these Games included an extensive cultural program as well as motivating and inspiring meetings with famous Olympians, champions and “alumni” of the Children of Asia Games of previous years.
Now the International Committee Children of Asia is already preparing for the next big event – the second Winter Games, which will be held in February 2023 in Kuzbass.
From September 28 to 30, 2022 in the city of Kemerovo, ROC traditionally took an active part in the 10th anniversary International Forum “Russia – a sporting state”.
This is probably the largest platform for exchange between representatives of the sports industry in the country.
The Russian Olympic Committee proudly presented the projects of the Innovation Center, new collections of the official equipment supplier of the Russian Olympic team ZASPORT, as well as the project “Russian Olympic Museum”, which will be opened at the end of 2023 in the VDNKh in Moscow.
Participation in the plenary session and numerous panel discussions of the forum allowed to talk about the work of the Russian Olympic Committee in such areas as mass sports, legal support and purity of sports, education and international activities, support for veterans and youth education.
On the sidelines of the Forum, working meetings with the heads of the foreign NOCs (Belarus and Syria) were traditionally held.
In addition, the updated development strategy of ROC was presented during the forum. The lively discussion and extensive support confirmed that one of the primary goals of ROC today is to train a new generation of athletes who can compete at the highest level in Olympic sports.
Dear colleagues!
The experience of recent years has shown that one of the most important conditions for the integrity of sport is precisely the prevention of negative phenomena (not only doping) in sport and the fight against any form of it.
Since mid-2020, ROC has implemented a number of organizational and legal measures to ensure compliance with the provisions of the regulations.
In addition, at the request of ROC, on the basis of specialized institutions, training is provided on an additional professional training program “Prevention of and fight against doping in sport”, aimed primarily at representatives of regional sports federations.
In the fourth quarter of 2022 alone, at least 300 professionals were trained under the above program.
As part of its support for preventing and combating doping, the ROC understandably pays special attention to All-Russian Sports Federations.
The Russian Olympic Committee not only covered all the costs of advanced training, but also permanently financed the remuneration of specialized professionals on the staff of the federations – as part of the aforementioned initiative to pay for professional staff units.
Dear friends!
The educational work of ROC isn’t limited to the prevention of violations of the purity of sport and the promotion of zero tolerance towards such violations among athletes and their environment.
In cooperation with MGIMO and RIOU, the ROC Innovation Center, we continue to implement educational projects aimed at improving the qualifications of representatives of All-Russian Sports Federations and regional Olympic councils.
In addition to the courses for mass sports coaches, the Coaches Education Project is being successfully implemented and has been extremely well received by the leadership of an impressive number of all-Russian sports Federations.
In the period under review, we faced no less ambitious tasks in popular sports.
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, some major events were held in a shortened format, without the main venue, as part of the “Olympic Country” mass sports promotion program, but this didn’t detract from their appeal.
In total, more than 8 million fans of physical culture and sports have participated in the activities of the above program in 2018-2022.
We consider this part of our agenda very important. The tasks of developing the Olympic Movement and supporting our athletes are fully consistent with the goals we have for public sports and events.
Here, too, the focus should be on the consistent expansion of the range of tasks that the ROC for the regional network – the Olympic Councils. They play a key role in the implementation of activities and projects on the ground.
And the ROC hasn’t only allocated more than 200 million rubles for these purposes, but also planned to consistently increase the amount of support.
Since the Olympic Councils are a link to the executive authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the field of physical culture and sports, their responsibility and the objective necessity of direct participation in important decisions increases.
I’ve already spoken about this when I spoke at the All-Russian Forum of the Olympic Councils. In this context, it was considered appropriate and timely to increase regional participation in the work of the Executive Committee of the ROC. A corresponding order is already being worked out in view of the next Olympic cycle (2026-2030).
Friends!
As you know, the sanctions imposed by the International Court of Justice for Sport at the end of 2020 as a result of the WADA proceedings against RUSADA expired on December 17.
There has been much public speculation about this, but in this part of the CAS decision, which we have elaborated, there are no other legal procedures and reasons. We have traveled a very difficult road with dignity, without giving a single reason for any attacks, while at the same time being an easily recognizable team in all Olympic competitions.
The CAS sanctions are over, but the so-called IOC recommendations (to the ICF), which have nothing to do with them, are still in force. They were released in February and March for purely political reasons and are now objectively doing more and more damage to the International Olympic Committee and the entire Olympic and global sports community every day.
Any restriction on the admission of athletes on the basis of their nationality or citizenship violates the Olympic Charter as well as all internationally binding documents and cannot be legally or morally justified.
This is also understood by our counterparts abroad. The situation is unprecedented, outrageous and leaves no other way out than the consequent abolition of the anti-sport, destructive restrictions on international sport. Basically, it’s a deliberate, intentional violation of the basic rules, which even the IOC itself and all major participants in the international sports movement ultimately recognize. But for now, politics is stronger than sports, sad as it is. Although it’s impossible not to notice the revision of approaches and the search for practical ways to solve this artificially created problem as soon as possible.
On the sidelines of the ANOC General Assembly in Seoul, we had many bilateral meetings that confirmed: Russia is an integral part of world culture, history, science and sports. Only unscrupulous competitors and fringe groups, as well as pseudojournalists who are anything but objective, continue to dream of Russia’s abolition…
The question of the return of our athletes to international competitions (especially the qualification for Paris 2024) was discussed personally with Thomas Bach and the heads of many international sports organizations. Not once was there even a hint that athletes from Russia were not wanted there. Yes, there are individual voices from radicalized countries whose governments see the path of confrontation and division as a convenient way for short-term gains. But there was an overwhelming minority of those already in October…
For our part, we’re now doing everything we can to ensure that our athletes are always ready to return to the international stage and win with dignity in the most difficult competitions.
Colleagues!
The Russian Olympic Committee formulates its mission for the coming years as follows: “We unite the Russian Olympic sports community, develop and create new opportunities, and strive for a global leadership role”.
You and I have everything we need to work together effectively. The most important thing is that we have strong human potential, we have a serious team capable of solving the most difficult and extensive tasks, we have material resources, trust and the necessary support from the country’s leadership. Our task is to maintain effective interaction, not to stop and do everything necessary for the development of Russian sports, decent education of the younger generation, preservation and multiplication of the glorious traditions of Russian sports.
At this point, we are working as planned, despite unprecedented turbulence. Our key sponsorship and partnership agreements have been confirmed, and ROC is ready to continue supporting ROC members on issues related to the development of sports throughout the Russian Federation, high-performance sports, and mass sports.
In conclusion, let me remind you that every challenge is an opportunity. I’d like to note that in addressing the challenges we faced during the reporting period, we were able to use all of them more than effectively with your support.
There’s a lot of work ahead. There is a new stage ahead of us, which we hope to pass with no less dignity, just as coherently and effectively.
Thank you for your attention!
