“Political issues precede any Olympic Games”

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Russian gays continue to play their “Olympic game.” According to the project GayRussia.ru, the organizers of the Moscow gay parade sent a note to the Moscow government that on September 26th, they would hold the meeting “No to boycott of the Sochi Olympics! Yes to Sochi gay parade!” at the entrance to the official office of the organization committee of Sochi-2014 in Moscow.

Meanwhile, President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov stated that all speculation over the Russian law on propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation among minors were inappropriate. Nobody discusses this problem in the International Olympic Committee. “I think information about the law was comprehensive at the session of the IOC. There is no discrimination of athletes, fans, journalists on race, sex or any other aspect – it is required by the Olympic Charter which we follow. That is why speculation over the issue is inappropriate,” Zhukov said and added that “none of members of the IOC in Buenos Aires raised the question on boycotting the Olympics.”

According to Zhukov, “political issues precede any Olympic Games. I hope there will be no provocations in Sochi because in the international Olympic movement everybody understands that the Olympics is a place where athletes come to compete fairly, according to the IOC Charter on holding sporting competitions.”

Summing up the results of the 125th IOC Session, Zhukov stated that “the most important for the Olympic Movement is electing the new president of the IOC. It is opening of a new era because there were few presidents of the Olympic Committee, and all of them contributed to the movement. I think those 12 years that have passed under the presidency of Jacques Rogge brought a lot of changes, the movement was consolidated. And Thomas Bach is an Olympic champion. For the first time in history a champion was appointed president of the IOC.”

Speaking about choosing a city for the next Olympics, Zhukov said: “I don’t remember such enthusiasm. When we won in Guatemala, Vladimir Putin, the head of state came, and it was thought to be a unique event. This time there were not only all heads of states, prime-ministers of Spain, Turkey, and Japan and members of royal families from various countries – they did their best to win the right for holding the summer Olympic Games. Tokyo won. I think all three applicants were strong and professional. Any of these cities could hold marvelous Olympic Games, but Japan appeared to be more convincing.”

For Russia, as for many other countries, the decision to keep wrestling in the Olympic program was essential. "No one could have predicted in February that one of the major sports could be excluded from the program. This was a result of the unification of countries that normally do not cooperate, for example, the United States and Iran held a friendly match. Russia also has done much to keep the sport in the program," Zhukov noted.