The President of the ROC summarized the results of the Olympic Assembly and answered questions from journalists.
Stanislav Pozdnyakov:
- The main topics discussed at the Olympic Assembly were the results of the implementation of the “Tokyo-2020” Program and the preparation of athletes for the 2022 Games in Beijing.
The delegates unanimously recognized the work on the “Tokyo-2020” Program as successful. I should note that due to the postponement of the Olympic Games, its duration was extended by one year. Over five years, a total of 1.4 billion rubles was spent on preparing athletes and the immediate reserve for these Games and other multisport events, on educational programs for coaches and specialists, as well as on anti-doping initiatives.
As noted by representatives of the all-Russian sports federations, preparation for the 2022 Games is taking place under extremely difficult conditions. This is primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic and difficulties in obtaining visas for certain countries. In turn, the Russian Olympic Committee is conducting extensive diplomatic work to ensure that our athletes receive entry documents in time for the countries where Olympic qualifying competitions are held.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to achieve the desired results. Despite having visas, our freestyle athletes were unable to participate in the qualifying tournaments in the United States. I personally sent a letter to the IOC and to Johan Eliasch, President of the International Ski Federation (FIS), demanding that the qualifying status of these competitions be revoked, as the organizers violated one of the fundamental principles – providing equal opportunities for all athletes.
For us, the interests of the athletes are an absolute priority. Therefore, the work of the members of the Russian Olympic Committee and all Russian sports organizations must be built in accordance with this principle. We hope that FIS will hear us.
Regarding the stay of our delegation in Beijing during the Olympic Games, we expect the publication of the second edition of the Guide for the Safe Conduct of the Olympic Games in the near future. This was originally scheduled for December 8, but the timeline has been slightly shifted. We are eagerly awaiting this document, as it will clarify some technical issues related to daily PCR testing and the rules of stay in China.
I would like to add that the ROC Team is fully provided with accommodation in all three clusters where the competitions will take place. We have also booked rooms for technical specialists in accredited hotels located within the “Olympic perimeter,” and all transport arrangements have been carefully planned.
We now look forward to successful performances by the candidates for the Olympic Team in the remaining qualifying competitions, which will allow us to compete in Beijing with the fullest possible team. We expect that 216 of our athletes will go to the Games.
- How does the ROC view the diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Games announced by a number of countries?
- The Olympic movement distances itself from any political statements, and such actions are completely meaningless. Many of us clearly remember what the attempts to boycott the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984 led to. Some time later, the participants of those events noted that the decisions were absolutely counterproductive and wrong.
We very much hope that such steps will not overshadow the sporting celebration. On our part, I want to express sympathy for the athletes who will not feel the support of their government leaders. Our Olympians, as you know, will not be deprived of this. The presence of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in Beijing will serve as an additional motivating factor for them.
Savva Timofeev, ROC Information Service
