Photo: Bildbyrån
Russia may soon be back in the Olympic context.
It makes Swedish legend Stefan Holm react strongly.
– We have to mark that this is not okay, he tells the Sports Bible.
Since Russia began its full -scale warfare against Ukraine just over three years ago, Russian athletes have been ejected from the sports world, as have Belarusian athletes. Neither hockey, cross -country skiing, biathlon nor alpine have allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes – but soon it can change.
Russia in the Olympics
Before the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milan/Cortina, Russian athletes can return to the sport’s finery. During the last summer Olympics 2024 in Paris, 15 Russian athletes competed under the neutral flag, which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also wants to allow in the Olympics next year.
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But in order for this to be possible, Russian and Belarusian athletes must qualify through their respective sports. Now, the IOC is trying to stress that the largest winter sports associations release Russian athletes to the international competitions so that they get the chance to reach the Olympics.
Holm’s criticism
It gets Swedish high jump legend Stefan Holmwith a past as an IOC member, to react strongly.
– No, I think you should keep them out. For two reasons, partly the war, although the countries have been at war in the past and other countries have been at war, but still participated in the Olympics. Then there is a doping problem with Russia that is not fully investigated yet and somewhere you have to put your foot down, he says in an interview with the Sports Bible.
– I can understand that the Olympics should not take a political position. I can also feel sorry for the individual Russian sports, I really have nothing against them, but this is much bigger than that. Then you actually have to keep them away, to mark that this is not okay.
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Holm was elected to the IOC’s active committee during the years 2012-2021 and this is not the first time that Russia has been involved in these issues.
– During the Rio 2016 Olympics, doping was also involved with Russia. My first Olympics for the IOC was in Sochi and then there was a lot of discussions about Russia. First it was just athletics and then it became all with Sochi as well. You can always have your opinion and you can say what you think and think within the IOC. I tried to compromise in Rio and then it became under the neutral flag that they competed, says Stefan in the interview.
But the former Olympic master has objections to competitors under the neutral flag. And therefore did not want to see any Russians in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy.
– I don’t really think it works with a neutral flag. There are rules that say that the IOC must not be politically controlled and in 2016 there were problems with Kuwait, but now the question is so much bigger. This combination is so much more difficult, with both doping and the war on this issue. The invasion is terrible and if you include doping on it, then it is reason enough to keep them away, he tells the Sports Bible.
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