ZURICH, 31 Mar – The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Switzerland, which has called for athletes from Russia and Belarus not to be allowed to participate in international competitions, is using a “prohibited technique” to remove strong competitors, the Russian embassy in Bern said.

On Tuesday, the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international federations allow Russians who did not support the CBO to start as neutral athletes. The eligibility criteria will be determined by the IFs. According to the recommendations of the IOC, they should take into account, in particular, the public statements of athletes, participation in rallies, the demonstration of symbols in support of the CBO.

A day later, the Swiss Olympic Committee announced that the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions should be excluded.

At the same time, the embassy emphasized that as a result of such statements by sports functionaries, an atmosphere of persecution of athletes on national and political grounds is being created, the idea of ​​​​fair competition and competitiveness in sports is disappearing. The diplomatic mission also noted that Russia stands for the equal development of sports cooperation, fair and fair competitions.

“Russia will make every effort to provide Russian athletes who have devoted their whole lives to sports and preparing to fight for the world championship with the opportunity to participate equally in international competitions, including under their native tricolor. With Olympic calm, we will continue to stand our ground,” the statement says. statement.