Opening remarks by the President of the Russian Olympic Committee at the meeting of the ROC Executive Board.
Dear members of the Executive Board and colleagues!
Since our previous meeting in June, many events have taken place, both locally and globally.
Let me remind you that immediately after returning from Beijing, we quickly reconfigured our work, as required by the new and rapidly changing circumstances.
The ROC reacted almost immediately to the illegal steps of international sports organizations. We immediately switched to a robust mode of operation.
In this regard, I want to note the active and meaningful work of the ROC Athletes’ Commission and the Russian Union of Athletes. Together with a very clear and unambiguous position on the inadmissibility of restrictions based on nationality.
All events with the participation of our athletes are closely monitored abroad, and we even receive flattering reviews and feedback from our international colleagues.
This is an important sign. Because in the conditions of frenzied politicization and global disunity, we remain committed to true values and we are building cooperation in various formats, but always on the basis of respect and friendship. It is impossible not to notice this.
In the current conditions, we organize our activities on different levels, taking into account all possible outcomes, and we are ready for anything.
The ROC routinely adapts operational processes and the regulatory framework, as well as approaches to funding and interaction with affiliates and industry partners.
Of course, the basic and preferred scenario is the return of Russian athletes to international starts on the eve of the 2024 Games in Paris, as well as the 2026 Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Our athletes continue to train, and we continue to fight for their rights. The ROC, within its competence, is doing everything so that unreasonable sanctions against Russian athletes are lifted. Diplomatic work on the Olympic line is carried out daily.
Based on the results of the consultations initiated by the IOC last week, we conclude that the mentioned baseline scenario is preferable both for the IOC itself and for the International Federations, some of which are already suffering significant financial and image losses due to the removal of Russians and Belarusians.
That is, we can see changes in the rhetoric and approaches to this issue on the part of the IOC and a growing number of representatives of foreign and international sports organizations.
Dear colleagues,
Given the above, our common task is to ensure that at any moment Russian athletes are absolutely ready to return to the international arena. They must be competitive and with a high winning potential.
In this regard, one cannot fail to note the efforts of the Ministry of Sport aimed at solving such an urgent problem as the lack of competitive practice. For example, the Spartakiad, which we are all aware of, was well organized and in terms of sports it turned out to be very useful for all participants.
In this regard, great expectations are associated with the legislative decision on the possibility of financial participation in the organization of events in the interests of Russian sport abroad. The corresponding instruction was issued following the April meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport.
Such powers would also contribute to the expansion of international competitive practice for high-level athletes.
There are no conditions for the expected return of Russian athletes to international competitions yet. The situation is in the hands of the IOC, which initiated the restrictions, and the International Federations, which are formally responsible for the Olympic qualification process before the Games.
But we clearly understand that the actual possibility of participation of the Russian Olympic team in the Games of 2024 and 2026 will depend on a number of non-sporting factors.
Namely:
– the visa requirements, along with border and customs procedures established by EU member states;
– availability of direct flights and logistics;
– restrictions on cross-border payments in rubles or in foreign currencies;
– other technical aspects of support for our team and delegation.
And this is not a complete list of potential problems as a result of the unfriendly steps taken by the political leadership in several countries.
Therefore, we have worked out the so-called alternative scenarios. But they are possible only if the geopolitical processes subsequently lead to the actual dismantling of the modern system of international sport.
It is important to note that, taking into account the experience of the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Beijing, along with the well-coordinated work of the ROC in conjunction with the National Sports Federations, the FMBA, the Ministry of Sport and other departments, any regular task shall certainly be solved.
Dear colleagues!
It is impossible to deprive a person of the right to a profession on a national basis. This is a principled position, which we continue to defend at all venues, including in the courts of law.
Let me remind you that at the June meeting we gave several instructions to assess the actions of the EOC and the expediency of ROC membership in the association.
Our lawyers, together with Swiss colleagues, prepared and filed an appeal with the CAS. At the moment, the arbitration procedure is developing in accordance with the CAS rules, we hope that a decision will be made before the end of the year. Accordingly, it is necessary to wait for the verdict, study its motivational part and then return to the question of the expediency of membership in the EOC. Moreover, the ROC Legal Commission and the Commission for International Activities are also simultaneously working on these issues.
Dear colleagues,
We are constantly faced with the task of strengthening Russia’s position among the strongest teams in the overall medal standings.
Without waiting for the final decision of the IOC, we are implementing a conceptually new approach to the creation of the main Programs.
Already work is at the final stage with the national sports federations, which will become the main beneficiaries of the Program.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the leaders of the All-Russian Sports Federations present here, as well as all those involved in this important work, for their involvement and professionalism.
Training a new generation of Russian athletes in Olympic sports at the highest level in line with world standards is a goal that does not depend on who is at the helm in world sports.
Dear friends!
An important indicator of the effectiveness of our work in the current conditions is the dynamics of relations with the NOCs of friendly countries and Russia’s partner countries in the CIS, BRICS and SCO, which adhere to the principles of indivisibility and de-politicization of sports.
Activities within the framework of integrated associations demonstrate an impressive potential for developing reserve formats for sports cooperation, as well as a clear demonstration of true Olympic values and sports principles.
Now it is one of the key areas of international and diplomatic activity of the Russian Olympic Committee.
Thus, cooperation with our Belarusian colleagues clearly indicates that the chosen model of interaction deserves systematic progress at all levels, with the involvement of friendly countries.
At the same time, the 7th International Games “Children of Asia” held in Vladivostok in the summer provide evidence of the true role of sport, which united young male and female athletes from 12 Asian countries and 8 regions of Russia in a peaceful competition. They were held in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect!
International cooperation should be based on rational relations between participants in the international sports and Olympic movement.
We adhere to the position that without Russian sport and the participation of our strongest athletes, the international sports movement will inevitably go downhill.
I can say that many IOC members, apparently realizing the irrationality and even the harm of sanctions, are now set on the return of Russian athletes to the international arena.
We are discussing this topic with colleagues from abroad, and the situation is radically different from what we heard a couple of months ago. Things are moving in the direction of a rational approach.
Now the ROC is a public organization representing Russia in the international Olympic movement, with all the rights and obligations enshrined in the Charter. In a different state of affairs, there could not have been talks about the participation of our Olympic team in the Olympic Games.
At the moment, the ROC is working as planned. I repeat, we are working in various formats, and all our projects and programs are financially secured, and we are ready for any scenario.
In order to integrally and clearly formulate the mission, strategic directions, goals and objectives of our organization, we are now actively working on the Development Strategy of the Russian Olympic Committee until 2028.
The document is not developed as a set of dry and static theses. On the contrary, we are focusing as much as possible on historical experience and predictive analytics, practical developments and current research in order to foresee and, in the medium term, determine the integral elements of the creative role of the Olympic Movement in Russia.
