The Australian government announced on Tuesday that it supported the position of 34 countries, including Poland, which in a statement released on Monday opted to maintain the exclusion of Russians and Belarusians from all sporting events.
Australia was not among the signatories to the declaration, although last year it signed two appeals to that effect which were accepted by “35 like-minded nations”.
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An Australian government spokesperson said the UK announcement, posted on Monday, was unsigned, but on behalf of all signatories the announcement was due to an administrative error and claimed the Australia agreed with the position of the other 34 countries.
The statement, the content of which was also published by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, is the result of an online meeting on February 10, when representatives from 35 countries discussed the position of the International Olympic Committee on the Russians and the Belarusians in the context of next year’s Olympic Games.
“We have serious concerns about the ability of Olympic athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as ‘neutral’ athletes in the IOC’s terms of not identifying with their own country, since they are directly funded and supported by their respective countries.” – marked in the list.
The appeal to the IOC was signed by representatives of 34 countries, including 25 countries of the European Union, including Poland, as well as Great Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea South, Japan, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
JŻ, PAP
