More than 40 former Canadian Olympic athletes have signed an open letter to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), asking it not to support the participation of “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes in next year’s Paris Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed its desire to find ways to allow Russian athletes to compete on a “neutral” basis, even as Russia is murdering thousands of Ukrainians.
CBC quotes retired rugby player Jen Kish saying the athletes want to send a message to the COC.
“You’re either on one side or the other. And what part of history do you want to be on?”
Time and again, the IOC has been on the wrong side of history. It opposed a boycott of the 1936 Berlin Olympics and Adolf Hitler’s vile regime of white supremacy. We all remember Jesse Owens, the Black U.S. athlete who won four gold medals at those Games; he blew Hitler’s theory of white supremacy out of the stadium. What’s often forgotten is how the U.S. Olympic Committee, under Avery Brundage, pandered to Hitler and pulled two Jewish runners from their winning relay team.
After the terrorist massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Games, then-IOC chairman Brundage said sport was more important than the murders and insisted that the Games continue. He never fully acknowledged the devastating massacre.
IOC President Thomas Bach said last week it’s exploring “pathways” to allow some Russians to compete as “neutrals.”
He told Ukraine its calls for a boycott of the Games because of participation by Russians goes against Olympic “principles.”
Well, as Brundage amply pointed out, IOC principles are shameful at best. Bach said Ukraine’s efforts in “pressuring” other countries to boycott the 2024 Games was “extremely regrettable.”
The COC is ambiguous in its response. It said it supports the government’s policy of excluding Russian athletes from international sports while the invasion is going on. But it seemed to leave the door open for a neutral option.
“This is aligned with the recent statement, signed by Canada … that calls for the continuation of the ban in the absence of clarity and concrete details on a workable neutrality model.”
We’ll pass on IOC “principles.” We’re with Canadian athletes and their values of fairness, justice and peace.
Post a Comment