‘Thomas Bach serves Russia’s colors and interests’: Wladimir Klitschko slams IOC president – who insists Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete in the Olympics as individuals – despite ongoing conflict in Ukraine
- Thomas Bach said that athletes should be able to compete as individuals next year
- The IOC’s final decision on this issue has not been made before Paris 2024 yet
- Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko took to social media to attack Bach’s plans
Wladimir Klitschko accused Olympics president Thomas Bach of serving “Russia’s colors and interests”.
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday reiterated its position that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete in international sport under a neutral flag despite Ukraine’s war.
IOC President Bach insisted that the final decision on their actual participation in Paris 2024 has not yet been made and will be taken at the “appropriate time”.
But former Ukrainian boxer Klitschko, who won gold in the heavyweight division in Atlanta 1996, tweeted: “The International Olympic Committee authorizes Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games under a ‘neutral flag.’ This decision is false flag.”
Thomas Bach serves the colors and interests of Russia. This decision pollutes the Olympic spirit and is such a war – nonsense.
IOC President Thomas Bach said that athletes should only compete as individuals at the Paris Olympics
Ex-Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko accused Bach of ‘serving the colors of Russia’
The IOC said its recommendation only covered individual athletes, not teams, and that anyone who supported the war in Ukraine could not compete.
But Bach added: “The participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports in international competitions works.
We see this almost every day in a number of sports.
We will not be able to come up with a solution that satisfies everyone. With this we may have to live.
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