Vitaly Smirnov shrugged off the actions of a sports dignitary from Denmark
Smirnov noted Russia’s sporting status. © RIA Novosti / Vladimir Trefilov
The actions of a Danish sports official who walked out of a speech given by Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) president Stanislav Pozdnyakov are irrelevant, according to sports official Vitaly Smirnov.
ROC chief Pozdnyakov spoke on Thursday at the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), which is being held in the South Korean capital, Seoul.
Pozdnyakov addressed the congress in his role as chair of the ANOC’s Culture and Education Commission, and showed a video to delegates which featured footage of international events being held in Russia earlier this year.
According to Inside the Games, Danish delegate Hans Natorp left the room during the presentation, later branding it “propaganda.”
Natorp’s actions come after the Danish National Olympic Committee (DIF) questioned Russian and Belarusian participation at the ANOC gathering.
Officials from the two countries are free to attend despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommending bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes from all competitions due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Responding to the news of Natorp’s walkout, Russian official Smirnov – who is an IOC honorary member, having long served the organization – was dismissive of the gesture.
“Where is Denmark in the table of ranks of the Olympic movement, and where is Russia?” Smirnov told RIA Novosti.
“The Olympic movement and the Olympic Games would calmly survive the absence of Denmark, but the absence of the Russian Federation would be a blow.
“It should be noted that there are more than 200 countries in the Olympic movement, and only one decided to leave,” Smirnov added.
Reports from Inside the Games claimed that Natorp “was among several delegates” who left the room during Pozdnyakov’s speech.
The Danish official had been taken to task one day previously by IOC president Thomas Bach for remarks which were perceived as derogatory towards the Russian contingent in Seoul.
Bach insisted that the organization would“not paint everybody with the same brush because of the actions of their government.”
Speaking on Wednesday, Bach defended the IOC’s decision to recommend bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes, arguing that it served to protect the integrity of the Olympic movement and keep it free from “politicization.”
The German official added that it was “not the time” to reverse the bans, although he said Russian and Belarusian sports dignitaries should be free from sanctions so they can take part in IOC gatherings.
Russian officials have long decried the suspensions applied to their nation’s athletes, describing them as discriminatory and allowing politics to undermine sporting principles.
