ROC views IAAF's approach to Russian track-and-field athletes as discrimination
MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) views the criteria according to which the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) did not allow the Russian athletes to participate in all international competitions, including the Olympic Games, as discrimination.
"We view the criteria according to which the IAAF banned the Russian track-and-field athletes from the participation in all international competitions, including the Olympic Games, as discrimination, because it is impossible to compel anybody to leave their homeland involuntarily," the ROC said in a statement.
The ROC said that today this criterion, among others, has been recognized by the main judicial institution in sports as lawful and having legal force.
"The international sports organizations are allowed this way to deprive any athlete of the opportunity to live and train in their country during the period not limited by any time frame, if they want to participate in international competitions. The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) violates the rights of clean athletes, which will bear the collective responsibility for the others starting today," the statement said.
The ROC did not expect that a situation like that may happen in the international legal relations.
"However, now everyone opens a new page in the international Olympic movement, the ideals and principles of which are significantly threatened. The rights of a clean athlete are now insignificant, and in any time they can become, in the words of the CAS representatives, 'an innocent victim.' The wording is quite telling. Due to that the ROC will take any necessary further steps to protect the rights of the athletes, who have never violated any rules, devoted their lives and careers to the purpose of participation in the Olympics, and were deprived of this dream today without any guilt," the statement said.