"VAN" (Sports Desk - 08.06.2023) :: The World Rowing Executive Committee decided to allow a limited number of eligible athletes, holding a Russian or Belarusian passport, to compete as individual neutral athletes in a limited number of boat classes at upcoming World Championships. The eligibility of these athletes will be determined by a number of criteria, including a background check to ensure they are not associated with, or publicly supporting, the war in Ukraine in any form, and an enhanced anti-doping control process.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, supported by Belarus, the World Rowing Executive Committee at that time made the decision to suspend the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in World Rowing competitions. This decision, which followed the initial recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was maintained to this day.
In parallel, World Rowing launched a campaign to support the different Ukrainian Rowing teams forced to train abroad. This campaign was strongly supported by the global rowing community. World Rowing and many of its Member Federations provided both financial and logistical support to enable the training of Ukrainian athletes across all categories, including Para-rowing. Several European host-countries facilitated such training, thereby contributing to a successful participation of the Ukrainian national team in the 2022 World Rowing events.
While protective measures had to be taken in early 2022, the principle of depriving certain athletes - who are not associated with or supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - of competing, has constituted a major dilemma for World Rowing since the beginning. No-one should be discriminated against on the basis of their passport. World Rowing believes in the importance of sport as a unique mechanism to build bridges between people even where governments are in conflict.
At the end of March, the IOC issued recommendations to IFs and international sports event organisers on how to authorize, under strict conditions, the reinstatement of athletes carrying Russian and Belarusian passports at their events.
Accordingly, World Rowing first conducted a number of consultations with its Member Federations and various other key stakeholders, including Council members and representatives from the athletes community. The Executive Committee met to review the situation and discuss the appropriate measures to be taken regarding upcoming international rowing events.
Second, World Rowing established a working group, tasked with advising the Executive Committee of the conditions that would need to be met for the athletes and officials holding Russian and Belarusian passports to participate again at World Rowing events should the decision be made to allow participation. This working group developed a regulatory and operational framework that would allow relevant athletes to compete while ensuring a safe and peaceful competition environment for all athletes.
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