MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/. The family of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, supports a decision to change the Olympic motto to "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together," Alexandra de Navacelle, a relative of the Baron and the head of the Pierre de Coubertin Family Association (AFPC) told journalists on Thursday.

On 20 July 2021, the Session of the International Olympic Committee approved a change in the Olympic motto from the original ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ to ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together."

"I think it is a fabulous evolution of the thoughts, because all alone that was the intention. Together it is the spirit of peace. I think it makes it more explicit and calls on everyone to get the true attention. I think it is a wonderful addition," she said.

The original motto by Coubertin was saying in Latin language "Citius, Altius, Fortius," but it is now poised as "Citius, Altius, Fortius - Communiter."

The IOC stated in 2021 that in his remarks world’s Olympic chief Bach explained the link between the change and the original motto as: "Solidarity fuels our mission to make the world a better place through sport. We can only go faster, we can only aim higher, we can only become stronger by standing together — in solidarity."

IOC’s solidarity with Russia, Belarus

The International Olympic Committee Executive Board convened for a meeting at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on March 19-20 and following the opening day it decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in the Parade of Athletes and also exclude them from the 2024 Olympics overall medal standings.

The IOC, however, ruled that Russian athletes, cleared to participate in the upcoming Olympics, would not have to sign anything denouncing their country’s special military operation in Ukraine.

On October 12, 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members.

The Swiss-based CAS registered on November 6, 2023 an appeal from the ROC against the IOC’s decision on the Russian governing Olympic body’s suspension.

The suspension means that the ROC cannot act as a national Olympic committee or receive financing from the Olympic movement. The IOC however reserved the right to clear Russian athletes to take part in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 as neutrals. Later, IOC President Thomas Bach said that Russian athletes should have no affiliation with the ROC if they want to compete at the Olympic Games.