At a meeting with the IOC, the chair of the Norwegian Athletes’ Committee, Astrid Ornholdt Jacobsen, shared her views on behalf of the committee.
The Athletes Committee represents the interests and opinions of elite athletes playing sports organized by the sports clubs and private associations of the Norwegian Sports Confederation.
Jacobsen is said to have recognized the challenges that the brutality of war creates in the world of sport, but at the same time expressed that athletes should not be disqualified on the basis of the passport they hold. This was reported by several sources.
Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee issued a statement claiming that the “vast majority” of athletes’ representatives want Russia and Belarus to return to international competition.
NRK tried again and again to contact Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen. Wednesday evening she was busy at work. On Thursday, she did not respond to inquiries.
The other members of the Performance Committee refer to Jacobsen.
When NRK asks questions about the Norwegian position of Swedish athlete Sebastian Samuelsson, he shares the opinion that the Norwegian Athletes Committee is among the vast majority who want Russia and Belarus back.
The Swedish star: – Nobody spoke clearly
Samuelsson told NRK he was surprised by the number of representatives who wanted Russia and Belarus back into international sports.
The Swede is known for his involvement in sporting politics and was quick to react when compatriot Pernella Wiberg thought it wrong to block the Russians in December.
Samuelsson represented the International Biathlon Union during meetings with the International Olympic Committee and testified that the vast majority – as seen in Wednesday’s statement – want Russian and Belarusian athletes back.
He says there were several people at the meeting, but the consensus seemed to be that they should find a way to come back as a neutral performer.
Surprise: Sebastian Samuelsson was surprised by the number of people who wanted Russia and Belarus back into the sport.
Photo: Hanne Skjellum/NRK
– no one said clearly. We were the ones who did it,” Samuelsson tells NRK.
The Swedish star claims there were some people who thought about how to implement it, but the impression was pretty clear.
Most of them wanted to give the green light to the Russians and Belarusians. Then Samuelson replied:
We have expressed that we don’t think they should be welcomed back. We talked about the Olympic Peace, which Russia has broken three times for all time. Only Russia broke it. If found, there must be consequences. They broke it in 2008, 2014 and now in 2022.
Samuelsson notes that IOC President Thomas Bach was present during the entire meeting. When the Olympic Games opened in Beijing, the German sports leader gave a speech calling for peace in the world.
But Russia broke the Olympic peace by attacking Georgia in 2008, occupying Crimea in 2014 and invading Ukraine in 2022.
The FIS has not changed its position
No change: Rosti sees no reason for the Russians to return.
Photo: Lise Åserud/NTB
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said earlier that it would follow the IOC’s decisions on banning Russians and Belarusians. Norwegian FIS board member Erik Rosti says the matter has not been discussed again.
The last time the topic was raised, the federation decided to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes this season.
Rosti says the FIS has not called for a new meeting on the ban. Rusty says there has been no change in his eyes since the union decided to ban.
– In my opinion, there is no reason for the Russians to come back again. I said it and I will repeat it. Rosti told NRK that only when the war is over can we talk about wanting the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes from my point of view.
Christine Kloster-Assen, a member of the IOC Executive Committee, told NRK that the IOC ended up in a dilemma when several countries wanted to set conditions for Russian and Belarusian participation.
On the other hand, to show solidarity with Ukraine and the importance of sport independence.
– I Our mission and mandate is global sports participation as a precursor. This means that athletes should not only be competing against athletes from the countries they love. We think it has an independent value, Kloster Assen tells NRK.
She says the International Olympic Committee is now working to find out how the athletes from Russia and Belarus can “They can come back and compete as individual, neutral athletes representing themselves and not the country they came from.”
– Didn’t see any change
NISO is a trade union with approximately 1,500 members divided into handball, soccer, ice hockey, and individual sports. The leader, Erlind Hanstveit, believes that this is a dangerous signal to be sent by the IOC when it opens Russian and Belarusian participation.
Crucial: Former Brann player and current NISO leader Erlind Hanstveit believes the IOC is sending a dangerous signal.
Photo: Vegard Wivestad Grøtt/NTB
– We are very critical of the signals that are coming now. I do not see any change in the basis of the decision that was made after Russia invaded Ukraine. The war is raging apace and we see no reason to upset this decision, Hunstveit tells NRK.
He says the topic has been hotly debated among the members.
– I find that our members are very unanimous in this view. All of our members match the status of ukrainian athletes. The NISO leader says banning Russian and Belarusian athletes was and remains good decisions.
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