Up to IOC to decide if Russia can compete in Paris 2024: Estanguet
The HinduThe head of the Paris 2024 Olympics Tony Estanguet said on Friday it was for the International Olympic Committee to decide whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can participate in the Games next year. Three-time Olympic champion and president of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee Estanguet told Reuters that he was “in favour of maintaining this symbol of universality for the Games” when asked about Russian and Belarusian participation. “It’s not in the charge of Paris 2024 to decide who is allowed to participate, it’s about the IOC, it’s about the IPC, it’s about the international federations who will decide which delegations will be allowed to participate,” Estanguet said. When asked about the issue, an official from French President Emmanuel Macron’s office also said it was ultimately up to the IOC to decide whether to let Russian athletes compete, and that Macron was in favour of respecting historical precedents and letting them take part under a neutral banner.