GENEVA (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has made a sweeping move to isolate and condemn Russia over the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The IOC has urged others to exclude Russian athletes and officials from international events. The IOC says the move is needed to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.” It opens the way for FIFA to exclude Russia from a World Cup soccer qualifying playoff match on March 24. Poland already has refused to play the scheduled game against Russia. The IOC’s call also applied to athletes and officials from Belarus because that country has abetted Russia’s invasion.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina who is seeded No. 1 at the Monterrey Open does not want to face Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova at the Mexican tournament unless tennis’s governing bodies follow the International Olympic Committee’s lead and insist that players from Russia and Belarus are only identified as “neutral athletes” and only if they bar those competitors from using any national symbols, colors, flags or anthems.
