They go on a neutral

The Olympic Assembly supported the statement of Russian athletes ready to perform at the 2018 Olympic Games in a neutral status. The decision was made unanimously, reports TASS.

The meeting was held in the building of the Olympic Committee of Russia. It was attended by athletes - candidates for participation in the Olympics, coaches and representatives of the federations. According to the Charter of the OKR, the Olympic Assembly is its highest body.

As stated in the adopted statement, the Olympic Assembly "calls for respect for each choice and support the athletes who will go to the games, those who refuse, and those who will not be invited." It is emphasized that the meeting only developed the OCD position regarding the performance of Russian athletes in games in neutral status. The decision regarding participation in the Olympiad will be made personally on the basis of an invitation that should come from the International Olympic Committee.

“OKR took a blow to himself to give the athletes their Olympic dream. Olympic licenses for games -2018 can win more than two hundred Russian athletes,” said the head of the OKR, Alexander Zhukov. “OKR creates a working group that will discuss all the technical issues with the participation of our athletes in the 2018 Olympics. The issue of conducting alternative competitions for athletes, Which for some reason will not go to Pyeongchang, is subject to discussion. "

“We made the right decision. In the interests of our athletes! The boycott of the Olympiad is a dead end. This is a way to nowhere. Participation in the 2018 Games is an opportunity to restore its status, position, good name,” said the honorary president of the OKR Vitaly Smirnov.

On Monday, the majority of participants in the Russian Olympic team agreed to speak under a neutral flag in South Korean Pyeongchang. "We talked with all athletes from all winter sports. Most Russian athletes want to participate in the Olympics, the commission of athletes supported them. I ask the Russian public with respect and understanding to the decision," said the head of the Commission of the OKR, Olympic Fencing Sophia Great.

According to the athlete, the commission she heads will ask the head of the IOC Thomas Bach and the organization’s executive committee to review the decision to ban the Russians to use national flag and anthem at the Olympics. “In the appeal to Bach and the IOC about the lifelong disqualification of our athletes, we ask to reconsider the decisions of the commission (the IOC under the leadership of Dennis. - Ed.) Oswald, since some athletes have already been punished and left for disqualification and have the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games according to all the rules of the IOC regulations from other countries,” the Great said.

On December 6, the IOC refused to allow the Russian team to participate in the Olympics due to doping violations at the 2014 winter games in Sochi. Russian athletes are allowed to perform at the games in personal quality - under the neutral Olympic flag . The team is given the name "Olympic athletes from Russia", and when awarding Russians will sound the Olympic anthem.

At the same time, only those Russians who were not previously disqualified for doping or are convicted of violation of anti -doping rules will be able to take part in the games. Another condition for the admission is the passage of tests appointed by the special IOC commission.

The Olympic Committee of Russia is suspended from participation in games. The membership of the President of the OKR Zhukov in the IOC is suspended. None of the functionaries of the Ministry of Sports of Russia will be accredited to the upcoming Olympics, and for Zhukov, as well as the former head of the Ministry of Sports, the current deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko and the former deputy head of the Ministry of Sports of Yuri Nagorny, a lifelong ban on accreditation was introduced.

On the same day, President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian authorities will not interfere with athletes who would want to perform in Pyeongchang under a neutral flag.