In 1980, over 60 countries boycotted the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. It was the measure to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Federal Republic of Germany was among the countries that joined the boycott.
The current International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach (German by nationality), was an Olympic athlete training for the Games at the time. He opposed the boycott. Even then, the intervention of the Soviet troops did not seem to him something requiring decisive measures. In many interviews, he repeatedly said that his sports biography could have been brighter if not for the boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow.
Although more than 40 years have passed, the views of Thomas Bach have not changed. His love for Russians is like a habit: he sincerely admires Putin, is a friend of Russian oligarchs and tends to bleach everything that has to do with the Russian tricolor. In addition, he also has business interests in Russia.
Thomas Bach is not only President of the International Olympic Committee, but also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Michael Weinig AG and Weinig International AG. These companies are part of the Weinig Group, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of machines and systems for solid wood processing. The head office of the Weinig Group is located in Germany, while the subsidiary Weinig RUS continues to operate successfully in Russia. Thomas Bach insists on the neutrality of sport, but does not adhere to his own recommendations. He receives money from a company that has 11 representative offices in Russia and a central office in Moscow.
If Bach considers the situation around the 1980 Olympics as a missed opportunity, then he decided to use the 2024 Olympics to the fullest. He maintains contacts with representatives of Russian sports and business, earns money in the Weinig Group, which continues its activities in Russia. He is the best illustration of the phrase “money does not smell”. Who knows if Thomas Bach’s initiative to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2024 Olympics is just a desire not to miss the chance and stay longer at the Russian feeder?
