Geraskevich Criticized the IOC's Decision Regarding Russia
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Geraskevich called the International Olympic Committee’s decision to temporarily lift the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee’s activities “shameful.” The athlete stated that the IOC is ignoring the facts regarding the involvement of Russian sports organizations in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Earlier, the IOC Executive Board decided to temporarily reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee, which had been suspended since October 2023. The IOC explained this by stating that the ROC allegedly no longer includes regional sports organizations from territories under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. The IOC also stated that it would closely monitor the actions of the Russian side and reserves the right to make further decisions.
Vladislav Geraskevich disagreed with this position and emphasized that there is ample evidence of Russian sports organizations operating in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. “I consider this decision by the IOC to be absolutely shameful. We have plenty of evidence indicating that Russian sports federations are operating in the occupied territories of Ukraine. It was precisely for this violation that the Russian Olympic Committee was suspended,” the athlete said.
According to him, the international sports community must not turn a blind eye to Russia’s war against Ukraine and the consequences of Russian attacks. “Of course, it’s painful to see this, especially given that today is a day of mourning for those killed as a result of Russian shelling. We are suffering from massive Russian shelling literally every other day, and we are seeing a staggering number of casualties. Yet the IOC is ignoring this and is now reinstating the Russian flags,” said Heraskevych.
The Ukrainian athlete believes that one possible way to put pressure on Russia should be to restrict Russian athletes’ ability to participate in international competitions through visa bans. “We need to work harder now toward a visa ban. In other words, so that Russian athletes simply cannot travel to competitions, so that they cannot visit the countries hosting these competitions, and so that they cannot obtain visas,” he noted.
Heraskievich also called on Ukraine to be more proactive in forming international coalitions and joining forces with other countries that oppose Russia’s return to world sports without accountability for the war. “We need to form coalitions and speak out about this more actively and openly. Together with the National Olympic Committees of other countries, sports ministries, and other states, we must counter these shameful decisions by the IOC,” the athlete added.
Meanwhile, the IOC states that the issue of using the Russian flag, anthem, and other symbols at the Olympic Games will be considered separately at a later date. IOC President Kirsty Coventry emphasized that the organization seeks to protect sport from political influence and preserve the idea of the Olympic Games as a platform for peaceful competition.
Critics of the decision, particularly human rights activists, warn that easing restrictions on Russia could send a dangerous signal to international sports. They believe that war, rule violations, and other issues should not go unpunished. Heraskevich spoke about this in an exclusive comment to Glavkom.
