Russian Olympic Committee

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC; Russian: Олимпийский комитет России (ОКР), romanizedOlimpiyskiy komitet Rossii (OKR); Full name: All-Russian united social union "Olympic Committee of Russia", Russian: Общероссийский союз общественных объединений «Олимпийский комитет России», romanizedObshcherossiyskiy soyuz obshchestvennykh ob"yedineniy «Olimpiyskiy komitet Rossii») is the National Olympic Committee representing Russia. Its president is Stanislav Pozdnyakov. On 12 October 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee.

Russian Olympic Committee
Russian Olympic Committee logo
Country/Region Russia
CodeRUS
Created1911
Recognized
Continental
Association
EOC
HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
PresidentStanislav Pozdnyakov
Secretary GeneralAnastasia Davydova
Websitewww.olympic.ru

History edit

Russia's Olympic Committee was founded in 1911 by representatives of Russian Sports Societies at a meeting in Saint Petersburg, in the premises of the Imperial Russian Society for Saving on the Water (Sadovaya Street 50), when the Statute was adopted and members of the committee were elected.[citation needed]

The first chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee was Vyacheslav Sreznevsky.[1]

In 1951–1992, the Russian Olympic Committee was essentially the Soviet Olympic Committee, based in Moscow.[2]

By decision of the Constituent Assembly on 1 December 1989, the All-Russian Olympic Committee was established as an independent public organization within the Soviet Olympic Committee. On 13 August 1992, it was officially named the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Full and final recognition of the ROC as the legal successor of the Soviet Olympic Committee by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was received at the 101st Session of the IOC in September 1992.[2]

2017–19 edit

 
Headquarters of the OKR in Moscow; it was also the headquarters of the USSR Olympic Committee

On 5 December 2017, the Russian Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC over its participation in a state-sponsored doping program.[3] It was banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and ordered to pay $15 million in costs for doping offences which IOC president Thomas Bach called an “unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport”.[4]

On 28 February 2018, following completion of doping test checks for Russian athletes who participated in the 2018 Winter Olympics, the IOC reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee, despite two failed drug tests.[5]

Since he was elected in May 2018, as Vladimir Putin's choice, former fencer Stanislav Pozdnyakov has served as the President of the Russian Olympic Committee.[6][7][8] He was re-elected in 2022 and 2024.[9]

On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned Russia from all international sport for four years after it found that data provided by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency had been manipulated by Russian authorities with a goal of protecting athletes involved in its state-sponsored doping scheme. Russia filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the WADA decision.[10] The Court of Arbitration for Sport, on review of Russia's appeal of its case from WADA, ruled on 17 December 2020 to reduce the penalty that WADA had placed. Instead of banning Russia from sporting events, the ruling allowed Russia to participate at the Olympics and other international events, but for a period of two years, the team was not allowed to use the Russian name, flag, or anthem and must present themselves as "Neutral Athlete" or "Neutral Team". The ruling did allow for team uniforms to display "Russia" on the uniform, as well as the use of the Russian flag colors within the uniform's design, although the name should be up to equal predominance as the "Neutral Athlete/Team" designation.[11]

2020–present edit

On 19 February 2021, it was announced that Russia would compete under the acronym "ROC", after the name of the Russian Olympic Committee. On aftermatch, the IOC announced that the Russian national flag would be substituted by the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee. It would also be allowed to use team uniforms featuring the logo of the Russian Olympic Committee, or the acronym "ROC" would be added.[12][13]

On 15 April 2021, the uniforms for the Russian Olympic Committee athletes were unveiled, featuring the colours of the Russian flag.[14][15] On 22 April 2021, the replacement for Russia's anthem was approved by the IOC, after an earlier choice of the patriotic Russian war song "Katyusha" was rejected. A fragment of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is used.[16][17]

In September 2022, ROC president Stanislav Pozdnyakov urged Russian athletes to fight for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, saying the athletes should feel honored to do so.[18][19] He said: "From the point of view of the Russian Olympic Committee, we, being citizens of the country, consider service to the motherland is an honourable duty and an honourable duty of every citizen, including members of national teams."[19] That month, Olympic synchronised swimming champion Anastasia Davydova quit her job as ROC secretary general in protest of the invasion, and fled to Dubai.[20][21] In April 2023, Pozdnyakov expressed surprise that there was talk of Russian athletes losing motivation during their continued ineligibility to compete in major international events, as a result of the invasion.[22]

On 12 October 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a statement noting that after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the ROC unilaterally transferred four regions that were originally under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine: Donetsk Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, Kherson Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast to the ROC; at the time, Pozdnyakov said "I don’t see any difficulties here."[23][24] The IOC stated that the ROC's unilateral action constituted a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violated the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, and further announced the immediate suspension of the membership of the ROC.[25][23] The IOC stated that as a result the ROC was no longer entitled to operate as a National Olympic Committee as defined in the Olympic Charter, and could not receive any funding from the Olympic Movement, and that as stated in the IOC's position and recommendations of 28 March 2023, the IOC reserved the right to decide about the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian passport in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.[23] In November 2023, Russia accused the IOC of having double standards by not sanctioning Israel due to its military actions in Gaza and occupation of Palestine, as Palestine is also an IOC member.[26][27]

Presidents edit

 
Vladimir Putin and Soviet and Russian Olympic Committee president Vitali Smirnov
Presidents Term years
Vyacheslav Sreznevsky 1911–1918
Vitali Smirnov 1992–2001
Leonid Tyagachev 2001–2010
Alexander Zhukov 2010–2018
Stanislav Pozdnyakov 2018–present

IOC members edit

Member Term years
Vitali Smirnov 1971–2015
Alexander Popov 2000–2016
Alexander Zhukov 2013–2018
Shamil Tarpischev 1994–present
Yelena Isinbayeva 2016–present

Member federations edit

Russian National Federations are the organizations that coordinate all aspects of their individual sports. They are responsible for training, competition, and development of their sports. There are 37 Summer Olympic and 12 Winter Olympic sport federations in Russia, all headquartered in Moscow.[citation needed]

National Federation Summer or Winter
Russian Alpine Ski and Snowboard Federation Winter
Russian Archery Federation Summer
All-Russia Athletic Federation Summer
National Badminton Federation of Russia Summer
Russian Baseball Federation Summer
Russian Basketball Federation Summer
Russian Biathlon Union Winter
Bobsleigh Federation of Russia Winter
Boxing Federation of Russia Summer
Russian Canoe Federation Summer
Climbing Federation of Russia Summer
Cross-Country Skiing Federation of Russia Winter
Russian Curling Federation Winter
Russian Cycling Federation Summer
All Russian Federation of DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll Summer
Russian Diving Federation Summer
Russian Equestrian federation Summer
Russian Fencing Federation Summer
Russian Field Hockey Federation Summer
Figure Skating Federation of Russia Winter
Football Union of Russia Summer
Freestyle Federation of Russia Winter
Artistic Gymnastics Federation of Russia Summer
Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Summer
Russian Golf Association Summer
Handball Federation of Russia Summer
Ice Hockey Federation of Russia Winter
Russian Judo Federation Summer
Russian Karate Federation Summer
Russian Luge Federation Winter
Russian Modern Pentathlon Federation Summer
Russian Rowing Federation Summer
Rugby Union of Russia Summer
Shooting Union of Russia Summer
Russian Skating Union Winter
Russian Ski Association Winter
Russian Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Federation Winter
Russian Softball Federation Summer
Russian Swimming Federation Summer
Table Tennis Federation of Russia Summer
Russian Taekwondo Federation Summer
Russian Tennis Federation Summer
Russian Trampoline Federation Summer
Russian Triathlon Federation Summer
All-Russian Volleyball Federation Summer
Russian Water Polo Federation Summer
Russian Weightlifting Federation Summer
Russian Whitewater Slalom Federation Summer
Russian Wrestling Federation Summer
Russian Yachting Federation Summer

See also edit

Sources edit

  1. ^ Son to Izmail Sreznevsky.
  2. ^ a b "НОК СССР: факты и события — Олимпийский комитет России". olympic.ru.
  3. ^ "IOC suspends Russian NOC and creates a path for clean individual athletes to compete in PyeongChang 2018 under the Olympic Flag". International Olympic Committee. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  4. ^ Ingle, Sean (12 October 2023). "Russia's Olympic Committee suspended by IOC for violations against Ukraine" – via The Guardian.
  5. ^ "IOC statement". Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  6. ^ Leo Goretti (May 2022). "The Sporting Sanctions Against Russia: Debunking the Myth of Sport's Neutrality," Istituto Affari Internazionali.
  7. ^ "Russian Olympic Committee Executive Board". Olympic.ru.
  8. ^ "Russia names new Olympic chief in wake of doping scandals". NBC Sports. 29 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Russian Olympic Committee; Russian Federation". ANOC.
  10. ^ "Russia Confirms It Will Appeal 4-Year Olympic Ban". Time. 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Dunbar, Graham (17 December 2020). "Russia can't use its name and flag at the next 2 Olympics". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Russia's flag banned but national colors on Olympic uniforms". AP News. 14 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Olympics: Russia to compete under ROC acronym in Tokyo as part of doping sanctions". Reuters. Reuters. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  14. ^ "No flag allowed, but Russian colours plastered on uniforms for Tokyo Olympics". CBC Sorts. Associated Press. 15 April 2021 [April 14, 2021]. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Uniforms for "neutral" Russian team at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games unveiled". www.insidethegames.biz. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Tchaikovsky Selection To Replace Banned Russian Anthem At Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympics". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Tchaikovsky music approved as replacement for banned Russian national anthem". www.insidethegames.biz. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Russian Sports Minister denies involvement in athlete mobilization". infobae.
  19. ^ a b Christine Brown (22 September 2022). "ROC head Pozdnyakov claims Russian athletes should be honoured to fight in war". Inside the Games. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Russian Olympic Committee cut staff by a quarter since Ukraine invasion". Inside the Games. 29 September 2023.
  21. ^ Lord, Craig (27 September 2022). "Athletes On The Front Line - Anastasia Davydova, Synchro Star & Secretary General Of Russia Olympic Committee Flees Putin & ROC's War Cry - State Media". StateOfSwimming.
  22. ^ Sutherland, James (28 April 2023). "ROC Chief "Surprised" By Talk of Lack of Motivation Among Russian Athletes". SwimSwam.
  23. ^ a b c [1]
  24. ^ "Russian Olympic Committee accepts members from annexed Ukrainian territories". www.insidethegames.biz. 5 October 2023.
  25. ^ IOC Executive Board suspends Russian Olympic Committee with immediate effect
  26. ^ Stynes, Trevor (6 November 2023). Radnedge, Christian (ed.). "CAS registers Russian appeal against Olympic membership suspension". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023.
  27. ^ Mann, Brian (8 November 2023). "Russia says International Olympic Committee is giving Israel a pass on Gaza". NPR. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023.

External links edit