On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes gradually return to international competition, but only as individual neutrals without a flag or anthem. The IOC did not give a timeline on their potential participation at the Paris Olympics next year.
The IOC Executive Board will make a decision regarding the Paris Olympics at a later date. IOC President Thomas Bach stated that athletes should not be punished for their passports, and politics should not be part of sports competitions.
The recommendations require only neutral entries, with a ban on participation in team events, and athletes must have a proven drug testing record. Additionally, sports persons who support the Ukraine war or are contracted to their countries’ military or national security agencies will be excluded.
Bach did not specify a timeframe for the Paris Olympics decision, and Russia’s Olympic Committee chief, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, called the recommendations ‘absolutely unacceptable.’
Many countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, reacted angrily, with the Czech Foreign Minister saying Russia had no place in the Olympics.
Ukraine welcomed the decision to ‘postpone’ the decision regarding Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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