The Athletes Commission of the Russian Olympic Committee (Олимпийском комитете России) has asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reconsider its decision to ban use of the Russian anthem and flag at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. While a statement issued by the Commission rejects the possibility of a boycott if the IOC does not reconsider, it also labels a ban the Russian anthem and flag as ‘unacceptable’. On 5 December, the IOC suspended the ROC, but allowed invited Russian athletes to compete under the name ‘Olympic Athlete from Russia’, using the Olympic flag and Olympic anthem.

“The Commission has prepared a statement on the athletes, which refers to their willingness to participate in the Olympic Games”, said Sofya Velikaya at a scheduled press conference earlier today, reported Lenta. “We will give it to the Olympic Assembly. We have also issued an appeal to the IOC President, Thomas Bach, to reconsider the decision of the international organisation to allow participation without the anthem and the flag”.

Velikaya said that the Commission supported the decision of athletes who had decided to participate in the Games as an Olympic Athlete from Russia. “I ask the Russian public to understand and respect the decisions of the athletes”, Lenta reported her as saying. “Whether they carry the flag or not, everyone will know that this is an athlete from Russia”. However the Athletes Commission statement presented to the IOC says that a ban on the Russian flag and anthem is unacceptable.

‘On the one hand, we certainly want to accept the chance to fight for victory in open competition and the upcoming Olympic Games’, reads the statement. ‘However, unlike our competitors from other countries, we currently lack our flag and national anthem, being placed in the humiliating position of persons deprived of their nationality, which is, in fact, an inalienable right of every citizen and person. We adhere to the firm position of rejecting any kind of boycott in sport, but are also absolutely convinced that it is unacceptable to deprive an athlete of the right to speak about and represent their country at the main sporting event – the Olympic Games. Especially when it is a consequence of the use of collective punishment on innocent people not involved in the misconduct of others.’

‘We want to speak for their country, for relatives, friends and fans in their nation, which for centuries has been and remains one of the greatest in the world’, continues the statement. ‘Every victory, every medal we will devote to Russia, which we represent with great pride’.

The statement also suggested that the IOC is guilty of violating the legal principle of non bis in idem, which prevents being punished twice for the same offence. ‘We also hope for an objective and impartial approach of the International Olympic Committee’s considering of the individual invitations to Russian athletes’, it continued. ‘We know that one of the criteria is the lack of any kind of doping story in the past. This eliminates the possibility of participation in future Olympic Games for some of our teammates, who have  once been punished and served a period of ineligibility. Now there is a question about the use of repeated sanctions, despite the fact that in the history of world sport there has never before been cases of double punishment for the same offence.’