The International Olympic Committee has recommended Russia's return to world sport.
IOC President Thomas Bach continues to abuse sport for his politics.
With fatal consequences for the athletes.
A commentary by Nico-Marius Schmitz
Munich – On March 6 of this year, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostjuk met Russian tennis player Varvara Gracheva.
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), recently cited this game as an example of a successful reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into world sport.
The truth: Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Gracheva after winning the tournament in Austin and collapsed in tears.
The assessment of the scene once again clearly shows how cranky the perspective of Bach's IOC villains is.
On Thursday, the IOC recommended Russia's return to world sport.
The international fencing federation has already pushed ahead.
Here, Russian athletes are allowed to fence again, while the Ukrainian government is boycotting fencing competitions.
For Olympic champion Olga Kharlan and many others, this decision can mean the end of their career.
The German Fechter-Bund accepted the FIE decision, a shameful ducking away.
This also shows that the Russian oligarchs - like Alisher Usmanov, who financed the fencing association almost single-handedly - continue to have great influence, even if their offices are currently officially on hold.
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Harvesting sharp criticism for his course: IOC President Thomas Bach.
© Photo: Imago
IOC: Thomas Bach's decision to return Russian athletes has fatal consequences for the athletes
Huge chaos looms over qualifying for Paris as the IOC has shied away from a decision and left the decision up to the world federations.
And the athletes have to pay for it again.
Even at the games in Sochi and Beijing they were overloaded with political questions to which they had no answers.
Many athletes have already complained that the - perhaps unique - moment on the biggest stage in sport was taken away from them because they have to face such discussions.
Actually, it would have been the task of the world associations to ensure clear conditions at an early stage and to protect the athletes.
But Bach, who always emphasizes that sport and politics must be separated, continues to abuse sport for his politics.
The 69-year-old relies on the fact that nobody should be discriminated against because of their origin – and on a supposed neutrality.
The missing playing of the national anthem or a missing Russian flag doesn't change anything.
Ukrainian athletes will inevitably think of all the suffering in their homeland when they see Russia involved.
To the destruction of entire cities.
To lost friends and family.
On March 10 Maksym Galinichev fell in the war.
A 22-year-old boxer who joined the troops to defend his homeland rather than compete.
Galinichev is one of many Ukrainian athletes who died in the war.
And a reminder
By Nico Marius Schmitz
List of rubrics: © Photo: Imago
