Chinese Olympic Committee voices support for IOC to keep Olympics free from political interference

MILAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Olympic Committee expressed its firm support on Thursday for the International Olympic Committee's efforts to keep the Olympic field of play from political interference.

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was not allowed to start his race on Thursday morning because of his insistence on wearing his "helmet of memory", which was not compliant with the IOC's guidelines on athlete expression.

According to the Olympic Charter Rule 50, no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.

Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Heraskevych, including a meeting Thursday morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the Ukrainian athlete did not accept any form of compromise.

"Athletes asked us to keep certain areas - the field of play, the podium and the Olympic Village - safe zones. How could we keep them safe in order to not be asked to use the field of play or the podium for something that they didn't agree with?" Coventry said.

"In this case - the field of play - we have to be able to keep a safe environment for everyone. And sadly, that just means no messaging is allowed," she added.

"We firmly oppose the politicization of sports and fully support the efforts made by the IOC to keep the Olympic field of play free from political interference," an official from the Chinese Olympic Committee told Xinhua, in response to the incident. ■