The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday recommended the reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions under several conditions. The latter must participate under a neutral banner, “in an individual capacity” and must not have actively supported the Ukraine war.
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday recommended the reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions, under a neutral banner and “in an individual capacity”, provided they have not actively supported the war in Ukraine.
But the organization’s executive board will decide “at the appropriate time” on their possible participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries threaten to boycott in the event of Russian presence, said the president of the CIO Thomas Bach during a press conference.
Russia excluded at the end of February 2022
Pressed for weeks to clarify its position, the Olympic body announced last December “to explore ways” to bring the banished back into the fold of world sport, after recommending their exclusion at the end of February 2022 due to the invasion of the Ukraine by the Russian army, with the support of neighboring Belarus.
The IOC, after four months of consultations with the entire Olympic world, has chosen to leave the international federations and competition organizers with the primary responsibility of whether or not to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes, contenting itself with “recommendations” to “harmonize their approach.
The question of the 2024 Olympics not yet decided
The body’s executive thus suggests maintaining the exclusion of all Russian and Belarusian teams and limiting the return to competition to athletes “holding a Russian or Belarusian passport” as long as they compete “individually”. ” and under a neutral banner, that they have “not actively supported the war in Ukraine” and are not under contract with the Russian army or the security services.
While qualifications for the 2024 Olympics have already started in certain disciplines, the IOC on Tuesday “did not address” the question of Russian and Belarusian participation in the next Games, explosive in view of the boycott threats. The Olympic organization will decide “at the appropriate time, at its sole discretion, and without being bound by the results of qualifying competitions for the Olympics”, announced Thomas Bach.
Source: Europe1
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
