Kliment Kolesnikov ‘Cannot Accept’ IOC Conditions for Russia’s Paris Participation

Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala

Kliment Kolesnikov ‘Cannot Accept’ IOC Conditions for Russia’s Paris Participation

Kliment Kolesnikov said this week that he “cannot accept” the conditions set forth last week by the International Olympic Committee for Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete as neutrals at the Paris Olympics.

Both countries have been absent from international competition since Russia’s 2022 invasion of neighbor Ukraine, which has continued with materiel support from Belarus. World Aquatics and European Aquatics have excluded the countries from World and European Championships since.

Last week, the IOC set what it called “strict” conditions for athletes to participate as “individual neutral athletes,” without flags, anthems or team aspects (presumably, for swimming, no relays.) To do so, athletes would have to qualify according to the conditions of the international federation (i.e. World Aquatics) and not “actively support the war” or be contracted to the military or national security agencies of either country.

While Kolesnikov approved of the IOC’s decision, he said in an interview with Russian outlet Matchtv that he would not vie to fit those criteria. His remarks were first translated to English by Inside the Games.

“It is good that the IOC has taken this step in principle and has made a decision on admission,” Kolesnikov said. “Another thing is that the conditions for the neutral status of World Aquatics remain the same. If you don’t agree with them, you don’t get the neutral status of World Aquatics. If you don’t get neutral status, you don’t qualify for the Olympic Games.”

Kolesnikov is one of the biggest names within the Russian program. He won silver in the 100 backstroke – behind countryman Evgeny Rylov – and bronze in the 100 freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. The 23-year-old set the world record in the men’s 50 backstroke in July at a national meet. He also set the short-course record in that event in 2022 during Russia’s international sabbatical.

Kolesnikov owns 10 medals (six gold) at European Long-Course Championships and 18 medals (13 gold) at European Short-Course Championships.

In an interview with Russian state-owned news agency TASS in April, Kolesnikov conceded that the Olympics, “are still number one for fulfilling athletic ambitions,” he’s not planning to meet the conditions to make that happen in Paris.

“I can only speak for myself,” he said. “There are guys who are willing to accept these conditions from the international federations and perform. I will be happy for them if they go to the Olympics. I cannot accept this.”

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