Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev spoke about the possibility of the Russian Olympic Committee severing ties with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the participation of 15 Russian athletes in a neutral capacity at the 2024 Olympics in France. He stated, as reported by "Match TV", "We will not close the door and abandon the IOC," and indicated that "Russia wants to bring the IOC back to traditional values." He pointed out that "the reason for the expulsion of Russians is a clash of values, as countries involved in over 20 other military conflicts around the world did not miss the opportunity to participate in the Olympics." He added, "We have such an opportunity next year, and I mean the election of the IOC President."
The first to announce the possibility of running for the IOC presidency was World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. The elections for the IOC presidency are scheduled for March 2025 during the committee's session in Athens, with the list of candidates to be published on September 16. Last week, IOC President Thomas Bach announced that he would not seek re-election. Degtyarev views the election of the IOC President as an opportunity for Russia to return to competitions, as during Thomas Bach's presidency, the IOC banned Russian athletes from events for the first time, later permitting them to compete only in a neutral capacity.
