Global Athlete, a progressive athlete start-up movement aiming to inspire athletes and drive change across the world of sport, has issued multiple statements with the athletes of Ukraine to both International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) presidents, Thomas Bach and Andrew Parsons, respectively. The statements call for the IOC and IPC to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarusian National Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
The letter states, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus, is a clear breach of the Olympic and Paralympic Charters – a breach that must be met with strong sanctions.”
The open letter has been signed by hundreds of athletes both in Ukraine and abroad, representing nearly every Olympic and Paralympic discipline. The letter further states, “Your lack of action will send a message to every athlete and the world that you have chosen Russia and Belarus interests over athlete interests. Your legacy will be defined by your action.”
In a following joint statement issued on March 2, Global Athlete reiterated their stance following the IPC’s allowing of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. While the IPC’s ruling requires they compete under a neutral flag, the letter goes on to read, “With or without a neutral label, the Russian and Belarusian authorities will use their athlete’s participation in these Games as state propaganda. During the Games and upon the athletes’ return home, these authoritarian regimes will use every ounce of their athletes’ success to justify and distract from their brutal war.”
Per Global Athlete, Olympians and Paralympians that wish to join the call can email hello@globalathlete.org
Update: It was announced on March 3 that the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) would change its decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutral athletes under the Paralympic flag.
In a statement, IPC President Andrew Parsons said, “In the last 12 hours, an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us. They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences.”
Global Athlete followed with a joint statement on the decision, included in the below tweet.
