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Over support for Russian ban: Norwegian Olympic Committee VC resigns

18 Mar 2022

Øyvind Watterdal has resigned from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports’ (NIF) Sports Board in protest of its strong opposition to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sporting events. The NIF was among the most vocal in its call for a ban on athletes from both countries following the “totally unacceptable” invasion of Ukraine, and also suggested that officials from Russia and Belarus be suspended from positions, reported Patrick Burke on Inside the Games based in England on Wednesday (16). Its statement on 26 February predated the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) call two days later for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be excluded from international competitions. However, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that Watterdal, who served as an athlete representative deputy on the NIF Sports Board, resigned from his post over the organisation’s stance, although he will continue on the Athletes’ Committee for the remainder of his term. Cross-country skier and ski orienteer Watterdal is the Deputy Chair of the NIF Athletes’ Committee, which is led by Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, a member of the IOC. Watterdal cited a lack of consultation with the Athletes’ Committee in an email confirming his decision. “The decision is made on the basis of NIF’s call to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and the lack of involvement of the UK (Athletes’ Committee) during the decision,” Watterdal said, as reported by NRK. “It is a decision that is in sharp conflict with my values and perception of what sports should be. Therefore, I have decided that I do not want to represent or be associated with this decision by withdrawing.” He added in a comment to NRK: “We have not had the opportunity to discuss, because we have not been invited. I have been against political demonstrations on the podium. “In general, I do not want to mix politics and sports, so there are probably others who think there is a lot of politics in sports. But there is no excuse.”  


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