(Reuters) – Russia has accused International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach of being involved in a “conspiracy” with Ukraine to keep its strongest athletes out of the upcoming Paris Games. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova leveled this accusation after two Russian pranksters, Vovan and Lexus, released a recording of a conversation with Bach where they tricked him into believing he was speaking to an African sports official.
In the call, Bach mentioned that the IOC had set up a special panel to monitor media and online platforms in order to prevent Russian athletes who had expressed political support for their government from participating in the Olympics. “We have also reached out to the Ukrainian side – not just reached out, but asked them – to share their knowledge of the actions of such (Russian) athletes or officials,” Bach was heard saying in English on the recording.
Zakharova took to Telegram to assert that Bach had engaged in a “political-administrative and, seemingly, criminal conspiracy with a specific party” – referring to Ukraine – to exclude strong sports competitors from international competitions. She also mentioned that a thorough investigation should focus on Bach’s relationship with the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and its officials, as well as his admission of a “request to monitor Russian athletes.”
Tensions between Russia and the IOC have escalated in the lead-up to the Olympics, where Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete as neutrals without their flags and anthems due to the conflict in Ukraine. They have also been barred from participating in the opening ceremony. The IOC had preemptively stated last month that Bach had fallen victim to a hoax before the prank call was made public.
The IOC has announced the creation of a review panel to assess the eligibility of every Russian or Belarusian athlete who qualifies for the Paris Games. To be cleared for competition, athletes must not have openly supported the war in Ukraine and must not be affiliated with any military or security entity. The situation continues to evolve as the Games draw nearer.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Christina Fincher)
