The President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov spoke about the ban on the admission of Russian athletes to international competitions.

— On December 17, the time of sanctions expires. Quite a lot of speculation in the public space. There are no prerequisites for any restrictions on national symbols and the admission of Russian athletes to be extended in any way. The CAS decision has been enforced and there are no other legal actions. We have not given a single reason for insinuations from outside. The sanctions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will cease to have effect, but the recommendations of the IOC will remain. They bring every day more and more harm to both the IOC and the entire movement. This is contrary to the charter and other regulatory documents. The situation is unprecedented. So far, politics is stronger than sports, sadly.

I discussed the issue of Russia’s admission with Thomas Bach and other leaders and never heard from them that athletes from Russia do not want to see the competition. Yes, there are radical governments of countries that want a split, but believe me, they are an overwhelming minority. We do everything to make the athletes ready to return to the international arena and win in a fair, sporting fight. The strategy involves many options for events. The first is that Russian athletes will be able to participate in the selection and will take part in the 2024 Olympics, ”Match TV correspondent quotes Pozdnyakov.

On December 17, 2020, CAS reduced sanctions against Russian sports by banning the country from performing under the national flag and anthem at international competitions until December 16, 2022. The sanctions affected the World Championships, the Olympics and the Paralympics. CAS also banned Russian officials and ROC members from attending the Olympic and Paralympic Games for two years.

On December 9, 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revoked the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) compliance status, accusing the Russian side of manipulating doping samples at the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory (LIMS). In June 2021, RUSADA received from WADA a plan to restore the status of compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, which must be implemented by December 16, 2022.