(ATR) International Fencing Federation President Alisher Usmanov wrote in a letter to Thomas Bach that the IOC Executive Board decision discriminates against Russian athletes.
Earlier this week, the IOC Executive Board laid out a set of sanctions against the Russian Olympic Committee and Russian government officials for the country’s role in the "strategic manipulation" of the Sochi Olympic anti-doping laboratory. The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC and Russian athletes going to PyeongChang must be cleared by a panel and can compete as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" under the Olympic flag.
If the sanctions are put in place to the satisfaction of the IOC, the suspension may be lifted in time for Russian athletes to walk out to the PyeongChang Closing Ceremony under their own flag.
Usmanov wrote that the decision creates an "uneven playing field with athletes from other countries," for the Russian delegation. He wrote to Bach as both the President of FIE and as a "citizen of Russia". The full text of the letter can be found here.
"Having gone through the purgatory of the Olympic qualifications, clean Russian athletes will (a) have to wait for months for the final decisions by the special commission of the IOC, (b) be deprived of the customary support of the NOC of Russia, and (c) most importantly, be denied the right to see their national flag and hear their national anthem," Usmanov wrote.
"This approach violates the basic human rights and undermines the trust in law and justice."
Usmanov urged the Executive Board to revoke the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag, so they can "reach the summit of their dream and see the flag of their motherland in Pyeongchang's sky".
The letter is the first statement from someone associated with a Summer Olympic federation on the IOC’s decision. Members of the Association of International Olympic Winter Federations released statements welcoming and respecting the decision by the IOC.
Written by Aaron Bauer
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