At the end of March, the International Olympic Committee already called for athletes from Russia and Belarus to be allowed to participate in international competitions again under a neutral flag. These have been banned since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Just over two months ago, Russian athletes were given permission to participate in the Paralympic Games in Paris under a neutral flag.
It became clear three days ago at the 12th Olympic Summit that the door to the Olympic Games would be somewhat ajar. Then international sports federations and national Olympic committees called for the admission of Russians and Belarusians under a neutral flag.
This knot has now finally been cut. Russian and Belarusian individual athletes who meet the qualification requirements for the Games will be allowed to compete in Paris in 2024 under a neutral flag.
Teams are still banned. Athletes are not allowed to wear their country’s emblems on their clothing and the national anthem will not be played. Athletes are also not allowed to publicly support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Currently, only 11 athletes from both countries have qualified for Paris: eight from Russia and three from Belarus. There are still 335 Russian athletes present at the Games in Tokyo in 2021.
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