Russian and Belarusian athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be allowed to participate as neutrals.
Confirmation of this comes today from the International Olympic Committee, which said letting individuals take part was about “respecting human rights”.
An IOC statement said, “The executive board of the IOC has decided that individual neutral athletes (AINs) who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations on the field of play will be declared eligible to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in accordance with the conditions outlined. ”
The IOC outlined six “strict eligibility conditions” for AINs at Paris 2024:
-
Qualified athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will be entered as, and compete as AINs.
-
Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will not be considered.
-
Athletes and support personnel who actively support the war will not be eligible to be entered or to compete.
-
Athletes and support personnel contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be eligible to be entered or to compete.
-
Any AIN, like all other participating athletes, must meet all anti-doping requirements.
-
The sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments remain in place, including: No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications of Russia or Belarus will be displayed in any official venue or function at Paris 2024, and no Russian or Belarusian government or state officials will be invited or accredited.
Responses