IOC: the interests of Scottish athletes will be protected in case of independence

The interests of Scottish athletes will be "protected" for the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), if Scotland votes for independence in a referendum held on 18/09/2014, announced Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), on 09/09/2014.

"We respect democratic decisions. We always do. But you can see from previous decisions we have been taking in similar cases that we are always safeguarding the interests of the athletes," said Thomas Bach to Reuters on 09/09/2014.

If Scotland is in favor of independence, the country could leave the United Kingdom in March 2016, four months before the opening of the Olympic Games. Therefore, Scottish athletes who competed at the Olympics in London in 2012 under the British flag could not do so in Rio in July 2016, unless they make a request to the IOC (Rule 41 of the Olympic Charter, see below).

In order to participate in the competition should the country became independent, Scotland should have a National Olympic Committee, and be recognised by the international community under Rule 30 of the Olympic…