Ex-IOC chief Bach favours Russian participation at ice hockey Worlds

Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has spoken out in favour of Russia's return to the ice hockey World Championship this May in Germany. 

"My opinion is clear and it has always been clear: it cannot depend on states, on governments, who can take part in sporting competitions, when, how, where and why," Bach told the Sport 1 channel on Friday. Critics say Bach was close to Russian President Vladimir Putin when he led the IOC. 

Bach, 72, justified his view by saying that "autonomy and neutrality of sport" must be preserved. "Sporting qualifications count, not political attitudes," said Bach, who won a gold medal in fencing at the 1976 Olympics.

Russian participation not favoured by all

A fierce debate has erupted over a possible World Championship participation by Russia. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled to readmit Russian ice hockey teams. That was followed by boycott threats for games against Russia from several countries, including defending world champions Finland.

The German Ice Hockey Federation, which is hosting the May championships, does not want Russia to participate in the competition and is pushing for a swift solution from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the sport's world governing body.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing - just before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine - the Russian ice hockey team reached the final but lost 1-2 to Finland.