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Specially for the website, 25.07.2016

The day before the IOC decided not to ban all Russian team from the Rio Olympics 2016. Chair of YABLOKO Federal Political Committee Grigory Yavlinsky told the journalists whether the IOC decision was political and what should one do to change the situation with Russian sports for the better.

– Is it possible that Russia will have to pay for the decision form the political point of view? Do you think that we [Russia] will have to make some political concessions?

Officially it is not a political issue. The International Olympic Committee is a public organisation which represents no countries or country groups.

It is difficult to imagine that Vladimir Putin may have some agreements with some of the world leaders under present circumstances.

The doping scandal – state patronage of the “doping programmes” and direct involvement of Russian sports leadership and security services – is a crime.

We are already paying for it with a catastrophic fall of image and Russia’s position in the world. This is the main political atonement.

– What should one do with Russian sports system in the current situation?

Firstly, one must do the same thing concerning all the spheres:

stop lying and cheating;
reduce corruption in sports;
improve professional qualities of the management.

Secondly, one must develop the system of children and youth’s sports. One must make it available, open and, in particular, provide sufficient financing of all-Russia children and youth’s sports instead of exorbitant salaries of the “stars”.

And, finally, thirdly, one must stop politicizing sports intentionally and making quasi elite from the sportsmen. One should be more shy and work harder.

But all this will be possible only if all the political and economic system, which has been founded in Russia within the last 25 years, is going to change because sports is its organic part.

-Should some resignations take place?

We need a real turnover of power in Russia – this is the main thing. The situation with sports reflects what is going on in all the rest spheres of state management and public life like a drop of water… As for sports, the necessity of a full replacement of the management became overripe a long time ago.