Russians, Belarusians to compete as ‘neutrals’ at 2024 Paris Olympics: IOC
Al JazeeraThe athletes had initially been banned from competing internationally following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee has given the green light to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the games next year as neutrals, drawing the ire of Ukrainian officials. Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify in their sport for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be able to take part without flags, emblems or anthems, outside of team events and as long as they do not actively support the war in Ukraine, the IOC said on Friday. “The IOC essentially gave Russia the green light to weaponize the Olympics,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a social media post condemning the decision. However, representatives of international sports federations and national Olympic committees had called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be admitted under a neutral flag “as soon as possible”.