IOC president Bach blackmails Ukraine to drop Paris boycott threat

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, is facing major backlash from Ukrainian athletes over his decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

After being banned from international competitions due to their involvement in the invasion of Ukraine, the IOC has now opened the door for them to participate as “neutrals.”

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is not backing down and has urged the IOC to ban Russia from the games completely. And he’s not alone – Olympic bodies and lawmakers in Nordic and Baltic regions are backing Ukraine in their fight.

In a recent letter to Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) President Vadym Huttsait, Bach referred to claims that allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes back into the games would promote the invasion as “defamatory.” Bach is threatening UKR NOC of consequences, and states that a boycott will violate the Olympic Charter.

However, Ukrainian athletes are not having it and released a statement saying they “cannot accept the IOC’s attempts to ‘unite the entire world in peaceful competition’ by welcoming Russian and Belarusian athletes back into the Olympic Movement.” They added that the IOC was “rewarding Putin’s aggression” and that the Olympic body “must choose a side” in the war.

Even Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has spoken out against the decision, saying it’s “inconceivable” to have Russian athletes marching as a delegation while “bombs are still raining down on Ukraine.”

Thomas Bach’s Controversial Move: Helping Russia Yet Again?

This isn’t the first time Thomas Bach has faced criticism for his ties to Russia. He was previously slammed for turning a blind eye to Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping effort and for reinstating the Russian Olympic Committee following the 2018 Winter Olympics despite failed drug tests during the Games. Some have called it “weakness in the face of evil.”

As Ukraine and their supporters continue to fight against this controversial move, it’s clear that the pressure is on for the IOC and Thomas Bach to reconsider their decision.

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