The Olympics have been called off in the past on three occasions — in 1916, 1940, and 1944, all due to war — but International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said Monday that the Paris 2024 Olympics will not be cancelled due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the war between Israel and Palestine.
“We have a very strong geopolitical tension,” Bach said at a German forum. “To say that we are sacrificing the Games, that would be completely the wrong approach.
“We have had many wars between governments and countries, but the athletes have always taken part in the Games,” he continued. “This is in line with the Olympic mission.
“I don’t know that we’re having a world war,” Bach added. “To betray the basic idea of sport is not something that can be done with the International Olympic Committee. According to the U.N. definition, we have 28 wars in the world at the moment. Our mission is a humanitarian mission for athletes and sport. We try to take that into account. People also need something that connects them.”
Bach has previously said that athletes should not be punished for the actions of their government, but he acknowledged “it’s a dilemma” whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in Paris. In September, World Aquatics approved their participation as neutrals, and a few Belarusian swimmers competed at the final stop of the World Cup series in Budapest, Hungary.
No Russian swimmers have returned to the international stage yet, but that could change at the 2024 World Championships next February in Doha, Qatar.World Aquatics will allow one Russian and one Belarusian athlete per event to compete at international competitions as neutral athletes (with no relays). In order to be eligible, athletes will need to meet a strict set of criteria that includes showing no support for the war in Ukraine and having no contract with the Russian or Belarusian military.
“Sport cannot and must not be apolitical, but it must be politically neutral,” Bach said. “If [sport] takes on the role of referee in every conflict, it will be the end of international sport.”
Bach also addressed the issue of extending his 12-year term limit beyond 2025, emphasizing that the idea was not his own.
“It is typical that it is assumed that this was staged,” said the 69-year-old former German Olympic fencer. “That’s what I find unacceptable, that people judge it like that without knowledge.
“One argument is that a certain election campaign by some members [for 2025] has already started in Tokyo [in 2021],” Bach went on. “That the majority of members found this disturbing. They don’t want all important decisions to be influenced by candidacies. Others say we live in such turbulent times that it is difficult to change teams now. You need a certain continuity here in order to survive. That is the basis on which we advise.
“I’m only human,” Bach added. “I was happy about the response that came from different continents. If members make a suggestion to change the statutes, then they have to do it. Respect that you deal with these people.”
Important correction: Israel is at war with Hamas, a terrorist group, not Palestine.
Jesus Christ stop with this ridiculousness. It started as a war with Hamas, sure. But they’ve killed enough non-Hamas Palestinians and destroyed enough of their homes and buildings and hospitals and schools that you can in no way pretend like it’s not a war with Palestine. Just. Stop.
You can continue to argue that it’s justified, and that’s a debate I’m willing to have. But…you can’t say that they’re not at war with Palestine.
If Palestinian people identify themselves with Hamas who declared the war against any Jewish citizens of the state of Israel, officially aiming to kill all of them including their children then you are absolutely right – the state of Israel is fighting the war against these people.
The IDF are liberating Gaza. Perhaps Hamas shouldn’t build their terrorist infrastructure around schools and hospitals if they didn’t want civilian casualties. But of course they don’t care because it’s easy to point the blame at Israel and fool the gullible.
Since Hamas was elected, and runs the government, it doesn’t really make sense to distinguish the two. If the US were at war, the other side wouldn’t be at war with the Democrats or the Republicans.
How can Israel not in war against Palestine when they’ve killed thousands Palestinians civilians indiscriminately including bombing hospitals and schools that killed babies and children?