The Russians and Belarusians, who will qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024, will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes – without the anticipation of presenting their flags, emblems or hymns, announced the global Olympic Committee (IMC) on Friday.
Initially, players from these countries were banned from participating in global competitions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, late many global sports federations have decided to let them to participate in the qualifying competitions for the Paris Games. 3 days ago, global sports federations officially recommended the MKOl allowing Russians and Belarusians as neutral athletes to next year's games in Paris, which was announced after the Olympic Summit in Lausanne.
During the meeting, representatives of the global federations, 206 national Olympic committees and athletes called on the ICC to make a fast decision, enabling the start in Paris for those athletes from Russia and Belarus who had already gained qualifications. A study from the summit published on the authoritative website of the ICOL states: “The representatives of global summertime sports federations have asked the ICOL to let for a start in the games Paris 2024 to those individual neutral athletes who qualified or qualified through results. In addition, they asked for a decision on this as shortly as possible to make Olympic qualification procedures clear to these athletes."
Now, like everyone else, individual neutral athletes will gotta comply with the rules and regulations of the Olympic Games, including anti-doping rules. They are besides required to sign the updated “Participation Conditions” in Paris 2024, which include, inter alia, respect for the Olympic Charter, including the “Olympic Peace Mission”.
Of the 4,600 athletes from around the planet who have so far qualified for Paris 2024, only 11 are individual neutral players (eight with Russian, 3 with Belarusian passport). To date, more than 60 Ukrainian athletes have qualified to Paris.
In a message by the ICC, it was revealed that consent to take off under a neutral flag does not include squad competitions. The condition for a start in Paris is besides confirmation that the player or player does not actively support Russian aggression against Ukraine. As it will be checked, it has not yet been released.
The decision of the ICCOL was not a surprise. As early as March, the ICC recommended for the first time to the global federations the re-establishment of the Russians and the Belarusians under a neutral flag to their professions, while at the same time putting "for a reasonable time" the final decision on Paris. MKOL president Thomas Bach has repeatedly called for athletes not to gotta “pay” for their government's actions.
In September, the global Paralympic Committee besides agreed to the performance of athletes with disabilities from Russia and Belarus in the Paralympic Games.
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Russia and Belarus admitted to the Olympics in Paris:
