Latvian Olympic champion in 3×3 basketball Nauris Miezis said in an interview to LTV programme Sporta studijā on Monday, the 11th of December, that he will not participate in the Paris Olympic Games if athletes from Russia or Belarus are allowed to participate in any sports discipline in a neutral status.
“My position is 100% – I won’t support this [International Olympic Committee’s position],” said Miezis. “If this is decided and it will be a 100%-made decision, I will definitely be the athlete that won’t be competing in the Olympic Games. This is my position.”
Miezis said he doesn’t want athletes to get involved in political activities, but this time he said he could not act differently.
“First of all, I don’t like it when athletes get involved in political affairs, but this time we cannot… this time we have to say something, and we can help out here,” Miezis told LTV. “I think IOC’s decisions was incorrect – this is my opinion, and somehow we can, somehow we as athletes can do something here.”
The decision by the best athletes to not attend the Olympic Games could influence the International Olympic Committee, said Miezis.
BNN previously reported that Miezis, together with Agnis Čavars, Kārlis Lasmanis and Edgars Krūmiņš, won in the Tokyo Olympics, earning awards in the 3×3 basketball discipline for the first time.
So far 11 athletes have qualified for neutral status in the upcoming Olympic games – eight from Russia and three from Belarus.
Latvia will wait for Ukraine’s opinion in regards to the 2024 Paris Olympics before making any decision, as reported by the Ministry of Education and Science.
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