IOC President Bach: In Russia I am called a Nazi!”

IOC President Bach: In Russia I am called a Nazi!”

The outgoing President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, is causing a stir with his recent statements. In an interview with the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” Bach put into perspective the relationship between the IOC and Russia, which suffered greatly after the invasion of Ukraine. He reported that he has since been called a Nazi in Russia, illustrating the violent verbal attacks from Moscow. “The aggressiveness of the Russian government is growing day by day,” warned Bach, emphasizing that the Olympic Games must not degenerate into a commercial transaction Krone.at reported.

Trouble with the Kremlin

Tensions reached a new height when the IOC decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes only as spectators at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. This was met with strong criticism from Russia, which condemned the decision as “illegal and unjust”. Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, accused the IOC of moving away from its own principles and responded with an accusation of racism. These aggressive reactions show how the basis for dialogue between the IOC and Russia is further tightening Eurosport.de highlights.

Bach, who will leave office in mid-March, expressed frustration at personal attacks on social media and from senior Russian politicians. “There were many voices from Russia that were very aggressive and sometimes very personal,” Bach said after a meeting of the IOC Executive Committee. The conflict, which has already taken on countless facets, shows that the Olympic movement is in a major crisis and the sports world is pushing for a solution.