サマランチＪｒ．氏、ロシアは規則に従えば「すぐさま」復帰させるべき

【ブダペストＡＦＰ＝時事】国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）の元会長の息子で、現在ＩＯＣ副会長を務めるフアン・アントニオ・サマランチ・ジュニア氏が２４日、ロシアが再び規則に従うようになれば、「すぐさま」資格停止処分の解除に向けて動き出すべきだと話した。（写真はＡＦＰのインタビューに応じる国際オリンピック委員会〈ＩＯＣ〉副会長のフアン・アントニオ・サマランチ・ジュニア氏）
　ＩＯＣ会長を１９８０年から２００１年まで務め、組織を強力な商業団体に変ぼうさせたフアン・アントニオ・サマランチ元会長を父に持つサマランチ・ジュニア氏は、トーマス・バッハ現会長の後任を選ぶ次期会長選に他の６人とともに立候補している。
　ブダペストで行われた会議のかたわらでＡＦＰのインタビューに応じたサマランチ・ジュニア氏は、ロシア五輪委員会（ＲＯＣ）は「一部の領土で他国の五輪委員会の権限を引き継ぐという、五輪憲章への明確かつ大幅な違反を今も犯している」としつつ、「資格停止や不認可の理由が消滅したらすぐさま、われわれは復帰に向けた取り組みを全力で始める義務がある」と述べた。
　ＩＯＣは、占領したウクライナの領土で一部のスポーツ組織を一方的に編入したとして、ＲＯＣを除外した。しかしサマランチ・ジュニア氏は、資格停止の理由はウクライナへ侵攻したからではなく、２０２２年の北京冬季五輪とパラリンピックの間のタイミングで侵攻を開始し、「五輪休戦を尊重しなかった」ためだと強調している。
　サマランチ・ジュニア氏は、五輪ムーブメントの「独立性と普遍性」を守るために闘うと約束し、それらがなければＩＯＣは「相違や議論、闘争、戦争がある中でも団結する」という目的を「果たせない」と主張した。
　ロシアは２０２２年のウクライナ侵攻後に国際スポーツの舞台から締め出され、今夏のパリ五輪でもわずか１５人が中立の立場で出場しただけだった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/09/25-17:55）

The International Olympic Committee should start work on ending Russia's suspension from the organisation the minute Moscow obeys the rules again, IOC vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior said on Tuesday.
The 64-year-old Spaniard, whose father of the same name was IOC president from 1980-2001 and transformed it into a commercial powerhouse, is one of the seven candidates vying to succeed current IOC leader Thomas Bach.
The Russian Olympic Committee (NOC) is today still in clear and flagrant breach of the Olympic Charter by taking over responsibilities of a fellow national Olympic committee in certain territories, Samaranch told AFP in Budapest on the sidelines of a conference.
The IOC had excluded the NOC after it had placed several sports organisations from occupied Ukrainian regions under its authority.
The minute the reasons for suspension and non-recognition disappear, we have the obligation to start working very hard to bring them back, said Samaranch.
He stressed that Russia had not been suspended for invading Ukraine, but because it had not respected the Olympic truce by starting the war in 2022, just as the Beijing Olympics ended and before the Paralympic Games.
We didn't take sides... The minute we take sides, you are excluding the other side, a part of the world, Samaranch said.
He promised to fight for the Olympic movement's independence and universality without which the IOC would not serve its purpose to unite despite differences, despite controversies, despite fights, despite war.
Russia was banned from world sport following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A tiny squad of 15 neutral athletes represented Russia for the Paris Olympics this summer.
Commenting on the fast-paced AI development, Samaranch expressed the hope that it can help reduce the gap between rich and poorer countries and that IOC must make the most of technological evolution.
On the complex question on the participation of transgender athletes, he pleaded for a level playing field.
We can't afford to discourage girls, future women champions, he said, noting a conflict between two basic human rights and that transgender athletes deserve to be recognised.
Bach, who has held the post since 2013, announced his intention to step down after the Paris Olympics.
The candidates vying to succeed Bach will present their programme next January to the IOC members in a meeting at Lausanne.
The election to become the most powerful figure in sports governance will take place in March with the winner scheduled to take office in June.