NPR

Russian and Belarusian athletes could be free to compete as neutrals at the 2024 Olympics after the International Olympic Committee said it will "explore a pathway" for their participation.

The IOC called on federations to exclude athletes from the countries following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This week Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian athletes should have "no place" at the Paris Games.

But the IOC's statement on Wednesday could clear the way for their return.

It said "no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport".

Hugo wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:41 am I was watching the Djokovic v Rublev match and was thinking honestly, it would be better if individual athletes of all nations competed in the games without being affiliated to a national flag. Individual A v Individual B, nationality = unimportant.

Leave the politics & nationalism out of it & just make it a pure sporting competition. Obviously its not feasible because of the way Olympic athletes are funded and what not but there's just no escaping politics any more.

Up to 40 countries could boycott the next Olympic Games, making the whole event pointless, said Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk.

His comments came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia jointly rejected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) plan to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in 2024.

Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Paris Olympics if that occurs.

But the IOC said on Thursday that any boycott would only "punish athletes".

Bortniczuk said he believed it would be possible to build a coalition of 40 countries, including Great Britain, the United States and Canada, to support a block on the IOC's plans before a meeting on 10 February.

He added: "Considering this I don't think we will face tough decisions before the Olympics and, if we were to boycott the Games, the coalition we will be a part of will be broad enough to make holding the Games pointless."

fishfoodie wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:53 pm For once I think the dictatorship of international sports organizations may be broken !!

Up to 40 countries could boycott the next Olympic Games, making the whole event pointless, said Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk.

His comments came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia jointly rejected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) plan to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in 2024.

Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Paris Olympics if that occurs.

But the IOC said on Thursday that any boycott would only "punish athletes".

Bortniczuk said he believed it would be possible to build a coalition of 40 countries, including Great Britain, the United States and Canada, to support a block on the IOC's plans before a meeting on 10 February.

He added: "Considering this I don't think we will face tough decisions before the Olympics and, if we were to boycott the Games, the coalition we will be a part of will be broad enough to make holding the Games pointless."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/64503198

The IOC can fuck about & pretend that they aren't utterly corrupt, but the sponsors are the ones who pay the piper, & call the tune, & they can see that having their brands associated with this event will be toxic, so they'll pull their sponsorship, & the IOC board will get thrown to the wolves.

If they don't; boycott the scum like Coke, & VISA, & Budweiser that continue to give money to war criminals, & let everyone know why your boycotting their shops/products/events, while they send money to war criminals !

Niegs wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:27 am

Hugo wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:41 am I was watching the Djokovic v Rublev match and was thinking honestly, it would be better if individual athletes of all nations competed in the games without being affiliated to a national flag. Individual A v Individual B, nationality = unimportant.

Leave the politics & nationalism out of it & just make it a pure sporting competition. Obviously its not feasible because of the way Olympic athletes are funded and what not but there's just no escaping politics any more.

In my aforementioned course, an assignment was to re-draw our national sport pathway to make it better. I cynically said no more gov't money to Olympic funding. Let the IOC pay for it all, set up pay-per-view or whatever. Apparently each of our medals cost $1 million when one considers all the money pumped in our OLY program. Would rather see that go to community sport, especially as there seems to be studies showing that they no longer inspire people to get active/pick up the sports they see (do kids even watch TV?). Prof, who works for a sport org, gave me an A.

Hugo wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:11 pm

Niegs wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:27 am

Hugo wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:41 am I was watching the Djokovic v Rublev match and was thinking honestly, it would be better if individual athletes of all nations competed in the games without being affiliated to a national flag. Individual A v Individual B, nationality = unimportant.

Leave the politics & nationalism out of it & just make it a pure sporting competition. Obviously its not feasible because of the way Olympic athletes are funded and what not but there's just no escaping politics any more.

In my aforementioned course, an assignment was to re-draw our national sport pathway to make it better. I cynically said no more gov't money to Olympic funding. Let the IOC pay for it all, set up pay-per-view or whatever. Apparently each of our medals cost $1 million when one considers all the money pumped in our OLY program. Would rather see that go to community sport, especially as there seems to be studies showing that they no longer inspire people to get active/pick up the sports they see (do kids even watch TV?). Prof, who works for a sport org, gave me an A.

That is an interesting proposition.

Its a fascinating thing to consider what the benefits are of pumping money into elite level Olympic training programs versus putting that money into the grassroots.

Niegs wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:31 am

Hugo wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:11 pm

Niegs wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:27 am

In my aforementioned course, an assignment was to re-draw our national sport pathway to make it better. I cynically said no more gov't money to Olympic funding. Let the IOC pay for it all, set up pay-per-view or whatever. Apparently each of our medals cost $1 million when one considers all the money pumped in our OLY program. Would rather see that go to community sport, especially as there seems to be studies showing that they no longer inspire people to get active/pick up the sports they see (do kids even watch TV?). Prof, who works for a sport org, gave me an A.

That is an interesting proposition.

Its a fascinating thing to consider what the benefits are of pumping money into elite level Olympic training programs versus putting that money into the grassroots.

I'm not holding my breath, but I kind of hope the IOC welcomes Russian and Belorussian athletes into the next Olympics, prompting a massive boycott that gets people to ask themselves "Why does so much gov't money go into this?" It's really just a nationalist event dominated by a few countries while the rest of us pathetically go "Woo! Look at the one gold and four bronzes 'wo' got!"

Middle class parents find the money to put their kids in sports. My landlord recently told me his daughter's swimming costs $5k per year! No working class/working poor can afford that. Even worse if their kids actually pay attention to the Olympics and fall in love with something they can't afford.

But what if more money went into offsetting rec centre costs and building more facilities, fields, courts, etc. in smaller communities? I'd invest in the potential improved health to our nation over the feel-good moments experienced by a select few (mostly middle class+ kids whose families were able to put them in expensive development programs, take them skiing, join a rowing club, etc. etc.)

Sandstorm wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:39 am So you’re both advocating for the abolition of the pinnacle of most sports and choosing mediocrity for all down the Rec centre? Fucking Hippies.

Sandstorm wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:39 am So you’re both advocating for the abolition of the pinnacle of most sports and choosing mediocrity for all down the Rec centre? Fucking Hippies.

fishfoodie wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 4:30 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:39 am So you’re both advocating for the abolition of the pinnacle of most sports and choosing mediocrity for all down the Rec centre? Fucking Hippies.

Depends of whether you think Politicians should be focused on spending tax payers money on encouraging kids into sport, for all the health & social benefits; or just flogging Fast food, & Sports betting etc, that cause irreparable damage to society & cost the tax payers billions ?

Niegs wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 1:48 am

Sandstorm wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 12:36 pm Germany is #14 in the list (3 people attended and voted OUT!)