Sports policy: Bokel criticises Bach:”Discussion not allowed”.

Former athlete spokeswoman Claudia Bokel has denounced a lack of discussion culture in the IOC executive under the leadership of President Thomas Bach. Bokel, who was entrusted with the final examination of the Russian athletes in the run-up to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, criticized in particular the conduct of the IOC leadership on the Russian question.

Referring to the events in the summer of 2016, Bokel said in the latest issue of the ARD documentary series “Geheimsache Doping”:”We wanted to have severe consequences for Russia and to exclude Russia from the games in Rio or Pyeongchang, respectively. Then the subject is off the table again.”

With regard to dealing with Bach, today’s president of the German Fencing Federation (DFeB) said:”I don’t stand up for or against someone, but for or against something. If I’m convinced of the opposite, that’s fine by me. If the discussion is not allowed, I find that difficult.”

The former world-class fencer was chairwoman of the Athletes’ Commission from 2012 to 2016 and was also a member of the IOC Executive Board. She was a member of the IOC’s three-person commission, which finally decided on the start of the Russian athletes in Rio.

According to Bokel, the work in the Commission was extremely difficult. It was impossible to work through the documents in such detail in such a short time,”said the 44-year-old.

Claudia Bokel had the opportunity to speak on several occasions. She took part in the decisive meeting of the IOC Executive Board, contributed her opinion and subsequently abstained from voting,”said an IOC spokesperson.

As an athlete’s spokesperson, she was also a participant in the Olympic Summit, at which the question of Russian athletes’ participation in the games in Rio de Janeiro was also discussed comprehensively and in all directions,”she continued.