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Moscow Says Calls to Ban Russian Athletes from Olympics ‘Unacceptable’

The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)
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Moscow Says Calls to Ban Russian Athletes from Olympics ‘Unacceptable’

The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (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.

It has said a boycott would violate the Olympic Charter and that its inclusion of Russians and Belarusians was based on a United Nations resolution against discrimination within the Olympic movement.

"Now we see an undisguised desire to destroy the unity of international sports and the international Olympic movement, to make sport a means of pressure to resolve political issues," Matytsin was quoted as saying.

The RIA Novosti news agency also reported that Matytsin described as "humiliating" a proposal by Polish Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk to create a team of refugees that would include Russian and Belarusian dissidents.

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Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2025: Ibn Seaidan Takes 1st in 'Challenger' Class, Al-Rajhi Maintains 2nd in Overall Rankings

Competitors embarked on a journey from AlUla to Hail on Thursday. SPA
Competitors embarked on a journey from AlUla to Hail on Thursday. SPA
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Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2025: Ibn Seaidan Takes 1st in 'Challenger' Class, Al-Rajhi Maintains 2nd in Overall Rankings

Competitors embarked on a journey from AlUla to Hail on Thursday. SPA
Competitors embarked on a journey from AlUla to Hail on Thursday. SPA

The fifth stage of the sixth annual Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia launched on Thursday, with competitors embarking on a journey from AlUla to Hail, covering a total distance of 492 km, including 428 km of timed special stages.

In the car category, American Seth Quintero of the "Toyota Gazoo" team claimed first place, completing the distance in 4 hours, 32 minutes, and 53 seconds. He narrowly edged out five-time champion Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah of the "Dacia Sandrider" team by just one second. Swedish driver Mattias Ekström of the "Ford Motorsport" team secured third place, only 8 seconds behind the leader.

South African Henk Lategan of "Toyota Gazoo" retained his lead in the overall car category standings, followed by Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al-Rajhi of the "Overdrive" team, who held onto second place despite finishing fifth in this stage. Swedish driver Mattias Ekström maintained third place, while Al-Attiyah climbed to fourth.

In the motorcycle category, Uruguayan Luciano Benavides on the "Red Bull KTM" team excelled, finishing the stage in 4 hours and 53 minutes. He beat Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren of the "Monster Energy Honda HRC" team by 47 seconds, with Chilean rider José Ignacio Cornejo Florimo of "Hero Motorsports" finishing third, 1 minute and 31 seconds behind the leader.

In the lightweight "Challenger" vehicles category, Saudi driver Yasir ibn Seaidan of the "BBR" team secured first place in the fifth stage with a time of 4 hours, 51 minutes, and 27 seconds. "Rebellion & Spierings" Dutch driver Paul Spierings finished second, 8 minutes and 22 seconds behind, while Qatari driver Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari of the "Nasser Racing" team came third, 8 minutes and 52 seconds behind the leader.

In the "SSV" lightweight vehicles category, Chilean Francisco Lopez Contardo of the "Can-Am Factory" team claimed first place with a time of 5 hours, 2 minutes, and 26 seconds. American Brock Heger of the "Sebastien Loeb Racing" team finished second, 20 minutes and 48 seconds behind, followed closely by his teammate, Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait, 20 minutes and 51 seconds behind the leader.

In the truck category, Czech driver Martin Macík of the "MM Technology" team finished first with a time of 5 hours, 1 minute, and 53 seconds, followed by teammate Dutchman Kees Koolen, 18 minutes and 42 seconds behind, while Dutchman Mitchel van den Brink of the "Eurol Rally Sport" team claimed third place, 39 minutes and 37 seconds behind the leader.
The Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia will pause tomorrow for a rest day, allowing competitors to recover. The rally will resume on Saturday with the sixth stage, covering a route from Hail to Dawadmi, spanning 829 km, including 605 km of timed special stages.