MOSCOW: The head of Russia’s Olympic Committee announced his resignation on Tuesday, a surprise move that comes as Moscow faces isolation from international sport over its Ukraine offensive. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, a five-time Olympic medallist, said in his resignation letter there were “timely” reasons why Russian sport needed a new leader, without going into detail.

“Geopolitical challenges faced by our country dictate the need to optimise and centralise the management of key spheres of activity, including top-level sports,” he said. A professional fencer, Pozdnyakov was elected as the committee chief in 2018 as Russia faced a string of doping scandals that saw it barred the following year from a number of Olympic sports for four years.

Pozdnyakov condemned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruling, following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, that Russian athletes could only compete at the Paris Olympics as neutrals and urged Russian athletes not to take part.

After Russia announced a mobilization of men to fight in Ukraine, Pozdnyakov said athletes should consider “serving the Motherland” as an “honorable duty”. His daughter Sofia Pozdniakova, who won two fencing gold medals in Tokyo, was one of those athletes who did not compete in Paris.

In the end 15 Russian athletes participated under the neutral flag, returning with a solitary silver medal in the women’s tennis doubles. Moscow slammed the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics as a “massive failure” and has promised to host its own “Friendship Games”, although when this will happen is not clear. Early elections to choose his successor will be set when the Russian Olympic Committee next meets on November 7, Pozdnyakov said in a statement. – AFP