The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed grave concern about the situation in the scandal-stricken AIBA boxing federation and has indirectly threatened to be banned from the 2020 Olympic Games programme in Tokyo.”The IOC reserves the right to review the position of boxing in the programme of the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires 2018 and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo”.
On Thursday, CAS lifted the lifelong sanctions against 28 Russian athletes imposed by the IOC following the doping scandal. Meanwhile, an IOC committee is now discussing a possible invitation for 13 of these athletes to participate in the games in Pyeongchang.
Bach explained that the IOC was still open to a possible appeal before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court against the CAS decision. However, it is a problem that the CAS has not yet published a reasoned opinion. According to the CAS, this could not be published until the end of February, according to Bach. However, the games in Pyeongchang will end on the 25th. February. This is an “unsatisfactory situation”, Bach said.
“It is not only the IOC’s right, but also its duty to express its concerns. We must not get into a situation where the CAS loses its credibility with the athletes,”said Bach, who brought reforms into play at the supreme sports court.
With a view to the possible participation of the 13 other Russian athletes, Bach also emphasized that the CAS’s decision was not tantamount to an invitation to the Olympic Games:”This is a privilege for clean Russian athletes,”Bach said.