The head of the ROC called tennis players from the Russian Federation at the Olympics “a team of foreign agents”

Head of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov named a “team of foreign agents” of Russian tennis players who intend to take part in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Pozdnyakov was outraged by the fact that Russian athletes agree to compete under a neutral flag, as the International Olympic Committee requires of Russians and Belarusians.

Pozdnyakov emphasizedthat we are talking specifically about tennis players who, in his words, “live abroad most of the time, earn money there, and at the same time claim that they are “playing for themselves,” condemning the policies of their country and the Central Military District [Специальную военную операцию – так российские власти называют войну в Украине. – РС]”He added that he respects the sporting achievements of tennis players, but does not agree with them “from a human and civil point of view.”

Leading Russian tennis players Daniil, among others, announced their intention to compete at the Olympics in Paris MedvedevAndrey Rublev and Daria Kasatkina.

Previously, the head of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics Irina Viner called athletes who are ready to participate in the Olympics under a neutral flag, “a team of homeless people without a flag, an anthem and fans.”

• The Summer Olympic Games, which will be the 33rd in a row, will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024. According to the terms of the International Olympic Committee, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete in them in a neutral status, only in single sports and only if they are not associated with military departments or security agencies. Russian teams and athletes in some sports refused to participate in competitions under such conditions.
• Formally, the ROC did not prohibit Russian athletes from competing at the Olympics and did not call for a boycott of the games. In addition to tennis players, it is expected that a number of athletes from Russia in other sports will be allowed to participate in the Games.
• The IOC introduced its sanctions against Russian and Belarusian participation in 2022, after the start of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Russian athletes competed without national symbols at previous games due to the doping scandal. At that time, however, the team was called the Russian Olympic Committee team. Currently, Russian athletes can only be admitted to the Games as individual neutral athletes.
• “Foreign agents” (foreign agents) – according to Russian law, people included by the authorities in the register of so-called foreign agents. As a rule, it includes people who criticize the authorities, disagree with the war against Ukraine, and collaborate with independent Russian or foreign media. There are currently no Olympic athletes on the register of “foreign agents”.