IOC president promotes separation of sports and politics amid conflict

Kirsty Coventry, president of the IOC, emphasizes a need for politics to remain separate from sports ahead of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, which starts on Saturday. This event will see Ukrainian and Russian athletes compete together, despite ongoing tensions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi asserts that the return of Russian athletes to international competition should only occur after the war concludes, signaling strong opposition to perceived normalization of relations. Former IOC executives argue that sport has historically intertwined with politics, complicating Coventry's vision of a neutral playing field. The ongoing situation highlights the tension surrounding athlete participation and international relations in major sporting events.

• 1:19 AMYahoo Sports — Sports chiefs face losing battle to keep sport separate from politics