In the light of the current discussion in the global sports community regarding the organisation of and the participation in the Games of the ХХХII Olympiad in Tokyo, the Russian Olympic Committee states the following.
Our position is based on the necessity to ensure guaranteed safety for life and health of the Games’ participants and guests as well as equal opportunities for all the athletes at qualification events and in respect of criteria for the assessment of the qualification standards.
In the situation of the coronavirus pandemic, the ROC as well as the NOCs of other countries is in daily consultations with the IOC leadership. We have no doubt that the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee will take informed decisions motivated by the logic of the unfolding events and based on the comprehensive analysis of potential development scenarios.
It is obvious for us that the Olympic Games should be held in the atmosphere of a true celebration for all the people. Any restrictions and threats, including of epidemiologic nature, represent a serious blow to the spirit and essence of major sports competitions and organizations.
The goal of the Olympiad is to unite people, to break down artificial barriers, to lay the foundation for communication and mutual understanding between cultures and nations. The objective of the organizers is to put in place all the conditions for that. And the objective of all the members of the Olympic family is to provide complete support.
The ROC is holding necessary consultations with the Olympic movement partners on a regular basis and we are ready to share our experience of handling the crises. We view as unacceptable any attempts to bring pressure on the organizations in charge of staging the Games and to force them to take rashly decisions.
Panic is the worst what can happen in the current situation. The ROC urges all the representatives of the sports community to keep Olympic calm, to act systematically and constructively while preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, to make every effort to come to a consensus on the issues that are of concern to all of us in the context of the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
