Step forward

How are things going with the return of our athletes to international competitions?

In Lausanne, the issue of restoring the rights of Belarusian athletes and sports federations was raised again. The International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) was held there, attended by the famous handball player, Chairman of the Belarusian Tennis Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Athletes’ Commission at Belarus’ National Olympic Committee Sergei Rutenko. He held talks with Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Emma Terho, a member of the commission, Pau Gasol, as well as Director of the NOC Relations Department of the International Olympic Committee James Macleod. Important issues were raised.

“The suspension of our federations — for example, tennis, as well as playing sports (hockey, handball) — damages the development of the global Olympic movement and Olympic sports, as it entails problems in athletes’ training,” said Sergei Rutenko. “This is especially true for young athletes. [Belarusian] Federations are deprived of the right to hold rating tournaments, as a result, young athletes lack motivation — there is no opportunity to gain rating points. On the part of the Athletes’ Commission and the IOC, there is an understanding of the current situation and the inevitable need to change it soon. At the same time, the participation of Belarusian athletes in the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) is considered as one of the crucial steps towards the gradual full return of our athletes to international tournaments.”
Almost five dozen Belarusian athletes will take part in the European Youth Olympic Festival, as noted by Rutenko. They will compete in seven sports. Along with that, they will perform in the uniform of the National Olympic Committee — not yet under the Belarusian flag, but no longer in the status of individual neutral athletes.
Recently, there have been other hints of thaw regarding our return to the international arena. Thus, it has become known that Belarusians and Russians are allowed to take part in the Universiade opening parade, which will be held in Germany in the second half of July.  
Belarusians will compete in a neutral status at the Universiade, while at the World Judo Championships, currently taking place in Budapest, our athletes are finally competing for awards under their own flag. It became known in mid-May that the International Judo Federation (IJF) would allow Belarusian athletes to compete under their national symbols starting from June 1st. Chairman of the Belarusian Judo Federation Aleksandr Steshenko commented on this decision, “The International Judo Federation is one of the leading ones, and let’s hope that our sport will become the harbinger in the Olympic sports, and soon all Belarusian athletes will take part in competitions under their national symbols.”  
So far, summer sports get much more understanding from international federations. As for winter sports, the situation is more complicated. The International Biathlon Union (IBU) is in no hurry to return Russians and Belarusians to international competitions. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation has recently hosted the international congress. So far, only 13 of our athletes representing the sports supervised by the International Skating Union — figure skating, short track, speed skating — have been allowed to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, one Russian athlete has already qualified for the Olympics — ski mountaineering athlete Nikita Filippov was the first to win a ticket to Italy. 

By Tatiana Litvinova