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☆ IOC stance on Russians, Belarusians 'painful', says Wlodarczyk
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bronze medalist Malwina Kopron of Poland watches gold medalist Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland celebrate on the podium REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File PhotoApril 3 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to let Russian and Belarusian athletes return to international competition is painful, three-times hammer throw champion Anita Wlodarczyk said on Monday, hoping the decision would change. The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but recommended last week that their athletes compete internationally as neutrals. It should be a top-down message that athletes from both countries should not compete," added the 37-year-old Wlodarczyk. "I will still stand by my decision that they should be excluded (from all international competitions)," Wlodarczyk said. "I hope that this decision will change in the coming months and that the Russians and Belarusians will not be allowed in."

☆ Exclusive: Russia shifts to Dubai benchmark in Indian oil deal - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Nidhi Verma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW DELHI, April 3 (Reuters) - Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) agreed to use the Asia-focused Dubai oil price benchmark in their latest deal to deliver Russian oil to India, three sources familiar with the deal said. Rosneft's chief executive Igor Sechin said in February that the price of Russian oil would be determined outside of Europe as Asia has emerged as largest buyer of Russian oil since the West imposed progressively tighter sanctions on the export. Under the new deal, announced on March 29, Rosneft will nearly double oil sales to Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), two of the sources told Reuters. The European Union nations stopped buying Russian oil from Dec. 5 and the Group of Seven (G7) countries joined the EU in imposing a price cap on Russian crude of $60 per barrel. The move was aimed at cutting Russia's oil revenue while maintaining stability on the global oil market.

☆ War has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes, sports minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 2 (Reuters) - Russia's war against Ukraine has claimed the lives of 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports facilities, the country's sports minister, Vadym Huttsait, said on Saturday. "They all support this war and attend events held in support of this war," Huttsait said, according to a transcript on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's website. The International Olympic Committee has recommended the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition as neutrals. Reuters could not independently verify the number of Ukrainian athletes killed or how many facilities have been destroyed. In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, a number of Ukrainian national-level athletes have taken up arms voluntarily to defend their country.

☆ Ukrainian diver joins boycott of events with Russians as war takes its toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Stanislav Oliferchyk, the European diving champion from Mariupol, practices in a pool at the training base for divers, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 27, 2023. Oliferchuk had been eagerly awaiting the reopening of Neptun swimming pool in Mariupol, which underwent two years of costly, major restoration. "The swimming pool was just incredible, I really enjoyed training there after it was renovated. It is very sad that the swimming pool as well the rest of the city was destroyed," Oliferchuk told Reuters. No way Russians should be allowed to take part in the competitions - if it happens, we will boycott."

☆ Ukraine says athletes not allowed to compete against Russians in Paris qualifiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - Ukrainian athletes will not be allowed to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics if they have to compete against Russians, government minister Oleh Nemchinov said. Huttsait is also president of Ukraine's Olympic committee. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations Tuesday for the gradual return to international competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals. The IOC is to make a separate decision on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris at a later date. Some federations have readmitted Russians and Belarusians in competitions but there is also considerable opposition to the IOC's plans from athletes and some European governments.

☆ Ukraine fencers unite behind federation's boycott call
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Members of Ukraine's fencing team attend a training session at the Olympic training base, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoMarch 30 (Reuters) - Ukraine's fencers have welcomed their federation's decision to boycott international competitions featuring Russians and Belarusians, amid a row over whether athletes from the two latter countries should be allowed at next year's Olympics. The move prompted Ukraine's fencing federation (NFFU) to say it would boycott all events in which Russians and Belarusians were included, a message reinforced this week by NFFU president Mykhailo Illiashev. "We aren't giving up," said Ukrainian fencing coach and former Olympian Olha Leleiko. And, along with our friends, we will look for competitions in which Russian athletes do not participate."

☆ Russia's Rosneft signs deal to boost oil supplies to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Olesya Astakhova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, March 29 (Reuters) - Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) have signed a term agreement to substantially increase oil supplies and diversify oil grades delivered to India, Rosneft said on Wednesday. The deal was signed during a working trip to India by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, the company said. "The parties also discussed ways of expanding cooperation between Rosneft Oil Company and Indian companies in the entire value chain of the energy sector, including possibilities of making payments in national currencies," it added. Deliveries to India are set to account for more than 50% of all seaborne Urals exports this month, with China in second place. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday that Russian oil sales to India jumped 22-fold last year, but he did not specify the volume sold.

☆ IOC issues recommendations for Russian athletes' return to competitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The IOC Executive Board's recommendations concern the return of those athletes to international competitions but not the 2024 Paris Olympics where a separate decision will be taken at a later date. He said the recommendations for events organisers and sports federations to follow included that Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete as neutrals, with no flag or anthem. "I am disappointed by the IOC recommendations," Lipavsky wrote on Twitter. "The parameters as announced are absolutely unacceptable," Russian Olympic Committee president Pozdnyakov told a news conference, according to Russian news agencies. PARTICIPATION WORKSBach had earlier told the IOC Executive Board that Russian and Belarusian athletes were already competing daily in many sports without facing problems.

☆ Russian forces making no headway in Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/6] A damaged building is seen, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 28, 2023, in this still image obtained from a social media video. But the military said Ukrainian fighters continued to successfully repel Russian forces and claimed that Russia was suffering high combat deaths in the offensive. Britain's defence ministry said Russian forces had made only "marginal progress" in an attempt to encircle Avdiivka in recent days and had lost many armoured vehicles and tanks. Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed leader of the part of Donetsk region under Moscow's control, said most Ukrainian forces had pulled back from a metals factory in western Bakhmut. "In principle, we cannot speak of them (Russian forces) having achieved any strategic advances in the last few hours or even days," Ukrainian spokesman Cherevatiy said.

☆ Keep Russian, Belarusian athletes banned-German Olympic Committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 17 (Reuters) - Germany's Olympic committee (DOSB) said on Friday it was in favour of maintaining a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes but opposed any plans to boycott the Paris 2024 Olympics over their participation. Ukraine has spearheaded a call to ban athletes from Russia and its close ally Belarus from the Paris Games next year after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in January said it was open to including them as neutrals. "We remain in favour of a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes and sports administrators from international competitions," the DOSB said in a statement. "Russia and Belarus must not get the chance to misuse the participation and successes of their athletes at international competitions for war propaganda purposes." Athletes from Russia and its neighbour Belarus, which aided Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, have been banned from many international competitions since then.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine opts to fight on in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine has decided to fight on in the ruined city of Bakhmut because the battle there is pinning down Russia's best units and degrading them ahead of a planned Ukrainian spring counter-offensive, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. DIPLOMACY, WEAPONS* The European Union could soon top up the fund used for purchasing weapons for Ukraine by 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion), a senior EU official said on Friday. * The United States accused Russia on Friday of seeking to destabilize Moldova and said it would help the Eastern European country fight off such attempts by sharing information and providing other assistance, the White House said. * Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in India last week was "constructive", but he heard nothing new from the U.S. side. * Canada on Friday banned the import of all Russian aluminum and steel products in a move that Ottawa said was aimed at denying Moscow the ability to fund its war against Ukraine.

Others welcomed it as a sign the energy industry would get involved in the transition. Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy crunch that disrupted fossil fuel supplies to industry and consumers. A disorderly energy transition could be "painful and chaotic", Wirth said. Top U.S. oil firm Exxon said each country would take a different path to energy transition, depending on the resources available. In some countries, gas would be a transition fuel, said Liam Mallon, the president upstream oil and gas at Exxon.

☆ Global brands look to boost media investment in women's sports through a new partnership, The Women's Sports Club
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For four-time Olympian and gold medal-winning ice hockey star Angela Ruggiero, pushing for more media attention and sponsorship dollars for women's sports comes naturally. Today, through her company, the Sports Innovation Lab, she's dedicated to changing that. Ruggiero's Sports Innovation Lab on Tuesday announced a partnership with banking giant Ally to create the Women's Sports Club, a coalition of major brands and media that will work to tackle some of the challenges in buying women's sports inventory and to elevating investment in women's sports. More than 20 global brands that buy and sell sports media and sponsorships are coming together to drive media spending to women's sports. The Women's Sports Club will meet at significant media and sporting events throughout the year, beginning with the South by Southwest event next week in Austin, Texas.

☆ Russia and Belarus boxers should compete, IBA president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 3 (Reuters) - Russia and Belarus athletes should be able to compete under their flag, said International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev on Friday. The IBA lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers last October, against the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) guidance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year. Each international association should have these standards," Kremlev told Reuters. "We, as an international association, must protect each athlete. Kremlev disciplinary actions targets USA Boxing CEO Mike McAtee, President of Boxing Canada Ryan O'Shea, Czech Boxing Association President Marek Simak, Swedish Boxing Association Chairman Per-Axel Sjoholm and Boxing New Zealand President Steve Hartley.

☆ RUSADA files CAS appeal seeking 'appropriate consequences' for Valieva
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sport's highest court said on Friday that RUSADA had lodged an appeal seeking a ruling that would sanction Valieva after the disciplinary tribunal of Russia's anti-doping body had found the teenager not guilty of any doping infraction. In her defence, Valieva said the positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather's heart medication. A RUSADA investigation released in January acknowledged that Valieva did fail a drug test but ruled that the teenager was not guilty of any doping infraction. "RUSADA seeks a ruling from CAS setting aside the challenged decision and finding the athlete to have committed an anti-doping rule violation under the RUSADA anti-doping rules, and sanctioned with 'the appropriate consequences' ...," CAS said in a statement. Despite the positive test, CAS cleared Valieva to continue competing at the Beijing Games in the women's singles, upholding an earlier decision by RUSADA to lift a ban on the skater.

☆ Ukraine joins world championship boycott over Russian, Belarusian inclusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine's boxing federation (FBU) has joined a growing boycott of the amateur world championships over the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian boxers, who have been allowed to compete with national flags and anthems. Both competitions are organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA), led by Russian Umar Kremlev. The IBA lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers competing under their flags last October, against the International Olympic Committee's guidance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, for which Belarus was a key staging area. "Our answer is clear - our athletes and representatives of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine do not compete where representatives of the aggressor countries, namely Russia and Belarus, will compete," Ilchenko said. Ukraine's boxers would also boycott next year's Olympic Games in Paris if Russian and Belarusian boxers are present, Ilchenko said.

☆ Games cannot exclude and divide says IOC amid Russian athletes row
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The Olympics cannot be divisive and exclude athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday, defending its plan to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the Paris 2024 summer Olympics. "The Olympic Games cannot prevent wars and conflicts. Nor can they address all the political and social challenges in our world," the IOC said in its statement. But the Olympic Games can set an example for a world where everyone respects the same rules and one another." The IOC remains committed to this mission to unite the entire world in peaceful competition to this day," the IOC said.

☆ International Skating Union to appeal Valieva doping case to CAS
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - The International Skating Union will lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the case of figure skater Kamila Valieva after a Russian investigation found the teenager not guilty of any doping infraction, it said on Wednesday. The ISU said it is seeking a period of ineligibility at CAS's own discretion. "Additionally, CAS is to decide the consequences of the Anti-Doping Rule Violation committed by Kamila Valieva and determine the final results of the Figure Skating Team Event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games." In her defence, Valieva said the positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather's heart medication. During the Beijing Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided that no medals for the team figure skating event would be presented until Valieva's case had been resolved.

☆ Powerful Nations, Including the U.S., Oppose Russian Athletes’ Return to Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

A substantial group of governments, organized by the U.K. and including the U.S., has pushed back against the IOC’s plans to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Games. Russian and Belarusian athletes should continue to be shut out of international sports events, including the Olympics, until there is a way to show they are competing independent of their governments, 34 powerful nations said in a statement signed by the U.K., the U.S. and France, the hosts of the 2024 Olympics. Russian and Belarusian athletes have been barred from major sporting events since the invasion of Ukraine, in an action taken by international sports federations at the behest of the International Olympic Committee a year ago. Russia had been banned from recent Olympics as a punishment over state-sponsored doping schemes that it denies, but its athletes were allowed to compete under banners such as “Russian Olympic Committee.”

☆ Australia aligned with other nations on Russia, Belarus athlete ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The strong links and affiliations between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also of clear concern. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Feb. 11 that calls from other countries to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympics were an "unacceptable" interference in the activities of independent sports bodies. Other international sports federations have allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on a similar basis since last year's invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Paris Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes compete. The two statements by the 35 nations last year called for a ban on all Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition.

☆ USA Boxing condemns IBA's 'misleading' 2024 Olympic qualifiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - The Russian-led International Boxing Association's (IBA's) announcement that its world championships are qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics is "false and misleading" and an attempt to sabotage qualification for the Paris Games, USA Boxing said. "USA Boxing condemns in the strongest possible terms this attempt by IBA to confuse boxers from around the world, knowing full well that IBA is not associated with the International Olympic Committee nor the IOC's published qualification system," McAtee said. At worst, USA Boxing believes this may be an attempt to sabotage the Olympic qualification for the Paris Olympic Games," the statement added. On Sunday, Switzerland and the Netherlands joined the United States, Ireland, Britain, Czech Republic, Sweden and Canada in boycotting the women's world championships to be held in New Delhi, India's capital, over March 15-26. Two world qualification tournaments are also planned for 2024.

☆ UK, 30 others vow support for ban on Russian, Belarusian athletes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - More than 30 countries, including the United States, Britain and France, on Monday pledged their support for banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sporting events, a British government statement said. Monday'sstatement follows recent proposals from the IOC which suggest a pathway is being explored to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition as neutrals, including at next year's Olympics. "There are serious concerns about how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on a neutral basis given they are directly funded and supported by their states," added the British government statement. Paris 2024 organisers insisted at the beginning of the month that they would abide by the IOC decision on Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in the Games. He pointed out that 228 Ukrainian athletes and coaches died as a result of the Russian aggression.

☆ World Athletics will address Russian doping before Ukraine - Coe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 17 (Reuters) - World Athletics will look at the issue of Russian athletes competing while the Ukraine war continues only after it has been decided whether the country has cleaned up its act on doping sufficiently to be reinstated, Sebastian Coe said on Friday. The Russian Athletics Federation (RAF) has been banned from athletics since 2015 as a result of the country's widespread doping, although some athletes from Russia were allowed to compete at the last two Summer Olympics as neutrals. World Athletics President Coe said doping would still take precedence when the governing council meets next month to decide whether the RAF has made sufficient progress along its "road map" to warrant reinstatement. "It was decided by the council it was inconceivable that Russia athletes (could compete) ... International Federations such as World Athletics, however, have the final decision on which athletes are allowed to compete in qualifying events and at the Olympic Games.

☆ IOC not on wrong side of history over Russia, says Bach
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said his organisation is not on the wrong side of history after opening the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in next year's Summer Games in Paris. Athletes from Russia and its neighbour Belarus have been banned from many international competitions in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. In a letter to Bach last week, Ukrainian athletes said the IOC was "on the wrong side of history" after Bach had urged Ukraine to drop threats of a boycott. When asked if the IOC was on the wrong side of history, Bach told reporters on Sunday: "No, history will show who is doing more for peace. Bach, speaking at the Alpine skiing world championships in Courchevel, France, said the IOC stood in "solidarity" with Ukraine's athletes.

☆ Moscow says calls to ban Russian athletes from Olympics 'unacceptable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Saturday that calls from ministers of more than 30 countries to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics were unacceptable, TASS news agency reported. A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, Lithuania's sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games. The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is desperate to avoid the sporting event being torn asunder by the conflict unfolding in Ukraine. "This is a direct interference of ministers in the activities of independent international sports organizations, an attempt to dictate the conditions for the participation of athletes in international competitions, which is absolutely unacceptable," Matytsin was quoted as saying by TASS. The IOC has opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals.

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