IOC President criticizes officials trying to speak on behalf of athletes – Olympic News

According to insidethegames.biz, Bach's words may refer to vice-president The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Linde Helleland, and Travis Taigart, Director of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), criticized the decision of the WADA Executive Committee of 20 September to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) ), claiming to act on behalf of the athletes.

Bach pointed out that the IOC Athletes' Commission had been elected and not appointed. According to him, the document on the rights and duties of athletes, unanimously approved at the IOC session at Buenos aires in October, gave additional meaning to the organization's Athletes' Commission.

"With this statement, the Athletes' Commission and the Steering Committee can really say that they are talking about the whole world. We must respect that because they have legitimacy. Unfortunately, I heard many voices earlier that they were the ones who spoke on behalf of the world's athletes, "said Bach, who speaks insidethegames.biz, in a speech at the UN General Assembly Thursday. the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

"Anyone can criticize and express their opinion. But I can not understand when officials who have been elected by anyone in the sports world express their opinions and claim to speak on behalf of athletes around the world, he said. – They must say that's my opinion or that of a group of people. But they must not pretend to act on behalf of the athletes of the world. "

Bach stressed that "on behalf of athletes from around the world," they said: "It is these elective commissions, these representatives, this steering committee that have led the dialogue with thousands of athletes around the world.

"We must respect and protect that," added the IOC official.