Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began immediately after the Beijing Winter Olympics ended in February. The war led to Russians and Belarusians being stopped from participating in the Paralympics a short time later. In Russia, they then made their own competitions for the Paralympics. Now they are planning for a similar scenario in 2024 when the Summer Olympics will be held in Paris.
— We plan to do as we did with the Paralympics in Khanty-Mansiysk, says Chernyshenko to the Russian news agency Interfax.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has advised the Olympic sports to suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition, which most sports have heeded.
Own training centers
Russian President Vladimir Putin has on many occasions raised the athletes’ dilemma, not being allowed to train at foreign facilities and not being allowed to compete, says Chernyshenko.
— The President has raised the need for an increased number of domestic competitions, with participation from other friendly countries. The active need to compete, no elite athlete can just train, it’s impossible, he says.
— According to instructions from the president, we replace training facilities in unfriendly countries. Now they are to be built up in our country, especially in the mountains for endurance training.
Olympic-like competition
Ternyshenko also tells Interfax that this year they held 210 international competitions in 50 sports. And right now there is a big championship for the best Russians in 39 different Summer Olympic sports with exactly the same program as during the Olympics in Paris in two years.
Perhaps there will be a similar arrangement in 2024, if the IOC sticks to the Russian suspension from participation in Paris.