In Lausanne, the news must have been received as a gift from heaven and celebrated with faces of joy. According to several reliable sources, Russia has postponed the World Friendship Games, originally scheduled for September 15-29, 2024 in Moscow and the city of Ekaterinburg, in the Ural region.
A victory for the IOC. A victory over Russia and its desire to organize its own international multi-sport events, on its dates, in defiance of the rules and practices of the Olympic movement.
Announced for several weeks by rumors that have never been confirmed, the decision now seems certain, if not entirely official. The president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF), Maxim Agapitov, spilled the beans on Tuesday July 16 at a press conference. “The World Friendship Games were planned this year, he explained, quoted by the agency TASS. I officially know that these Games have been postponed until next year ».
Later in the day, Maxim Agapitov backtracked, assuring a Russian news agency correspondent that he had spoken too quickly. “I do not have any official information and, regarding the report, I relied on simple sources, he explained. I am not authorized to release official information". Certainly. But his change of heart fools no one.
Alerted by the blunder of the leader of Russian weightlifting, the organizing committee of the World Friendship Games published a press release at the end of the day, where it is easy to read between the lines. “ The organizing committee of the World Friendship Games continues to actively prepare for the event, indicates the text. Currently, due to a proposal from the International Friendship Association to postpone the Games to other dates, consultations are underway with all interested parties regarding the new dates. We will make an official announcement as soon as a relevant decision is made ».
The formula is intended to be convoluted enough to open the door to interpretations. But two months almost to the day of the event, it now seems almost certain that the Russians have put their project on hold. It will take place next year, or not at all.
For the IOC, the postponement of the Friendship Games sounds like a success. The Olympic body declared itself hostile to the project initiated by the Kremlin from the first day. In December 2023, the body warned all national Olympic committees on the planet against an event presented by Lausanne as a political propaganda tool. The IOC had asked them not to send athletes.
At the same time, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made almost the same speech. Its president, the Pole Witold Banka, even went a little further, threatening sanctions against foreign athletes who gave in to the lure of money and accepted Moscow's invitation. The threat is now buried. Lausanne can breathe and move on.