Russian, Belarusian athletes banned from European Games in Poland

Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in the European Games that began in Krakow, despite the International Olympic Committee’s recommendation that participants from those countries be allowed to compete under the neutral flag.

The 3rd European Games, organised by Krakow and the Małopolska region in Southern Poland, will be attended by 6,857 athletes from 48 nations competing in 29 sports. However, for the first time in the Games’ short history, Russians and Belarusians will not be participating.

“There will not be competitors representing the Russian Federation or Belarus at the European Games in Krakow. We will not allow (them to participate) regardless of the diplomatic efforts (to stop the war),” Marcin Nowak, head of the Organisation Committee, said in a statement from 29 March.

In the same statement, the committee said the exclusion was a joint decision of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl) and the European Olympic Committees (EOC), both organisers of the European Games.

However, their decision contradicts the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March, recommending that Russian and Belarusian athletes participate in international competitions as neutral athletes unless they actively support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

By doing so, the IOC went against its own recommendation that followed the start of the war in February 2022 when it recommended the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Asked what had changed since then, the IOC explained that the previous recommendation was mainly a safety measure for athletes from both nations.

The PKOl expressed “regret” at the IOC’s recent decision, according to its statement and added that it would continue to lobby the IOC to ban both nations from the Olympic Games completely.

The PKOI did not respond to EURACTIV.pl by the time of publication on whether it discussed the ban with the IOC. The IOC also did not respond to a request to comment on the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes that goes against its own position.

The European Games, which will take place in over 20 venues in 11 cities and towns like Krakow and Wroclaw, will end on 2 July.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl)