Despite Russia’s deteriorating relations with Ukraine, Sergey Bubka says he’s not worried about the possibility of a Russian deputy prime minister judging the Lviv 2022 bid.
The western Ukrainian city is one of five bidders for the 2022 Games, having submitted its applicant file last month.
Given Russia’s annexing of Crimea and the escalating Ukraine crisis, the announcement last week that Russian NOC president Alexander Zhukov would chair the 2022 evaluation commission appeared a strange choice. Zhukov himself said he was surprised to be named to the post.
In the wake of anti-government protests in Ukraine, and uncertain support from a new government, Lviv already faces an uphill battle to be selected as a candidate city for the 2022 Olympics. Lviv officials plan to meet with the IOC soon to discuss whether they will be able to move forward.
"We have agreed with the IOC that we will meet as soon as possible to discuss whether our bid is still able to fulfill our commitments and to realize our dream of hosting the Olympic Winter Games, a dream that is now more important than ever," read a statement to Reuters on Thursday."
The statement went on to say the bid is "currently on hold" until at least May 25 when Ukraine will hold its presidential election.
"This is why the Lviv 2022 bid team has minimized its operations and suspended promotional and media activities until the successful solution of the current challenges facing Ukraine."
If the bid resumes and the city is shortlisted, the Ukrainian bid will likely feel they then face an unfair advantage with a Russian heading the evaluation commission.
Bubka, a Ukrainian IOC member, told ATR he was not thinking about the possible impact Zhukov, a close confidant of Vladimir Putin, might have on Lviv’s bid if the city makes the IOC cut in July.
"Sport is out of politics," the pole vault legend said, claiming the IOC evaluation commission would be a professional team and "look at all criteria" before making its assessment of the 2022 finalists.
"I think it will be a correct and fair judgement. The Olympic Family is very strong with their commitment," Bubka said."I don’t worry about that because he is very experienced. He is a very knowledgeable person."
He added, "He can judge correctly and fairly. He is an IOC member and president of his Olympic committee. I believe it will be correct."
Pressed again about whether Russia’s strained relations with Ukraine could spill over into the 2022 bid race, he added, "This is politics. As I told you, the politics is not on our side. We don’t discuss that."
Commenting on his hopes for Lviv, which is vying for the 2022 Games with Almaty, Beijing, Krakow, and Oslo, he insisted the city was on a good track.
"We see how we will be assessed. But I think we did a great job [on the bid file] and regarding the next step we will see how it will be developed," Bubka said.
Last week, the IOC rejected suggestions that Zhukov’s appointment could backfire if Lviv was shortlisted, saying "he has the full confidence of the IOC president."
The IOC’s director of communications Mark Adams said, "Mr. Zhukov, in his capacity as NOC president, played a key role in the preparations and staging to the Sochi Games and knows what it takes to deliver successful Winter Games."
Written by Mark Bisson
Homepage photo: Getty Images
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