Olympic chiefs on Friday gave the green light to participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals, outside of team events and as long as they did not actively support the war on Ukraine.
The International Olympic Committee added that there were currently only eight athletes from Russia and three from Belarus who had qualified as neutral athletes.
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In comparison, more than 60 Ukrainian athletes have qualified for next year's Paris Olympics.
The IOC's executive board "decided that Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations (IFs) on the field of play will be declared eligible to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024".
But only, it added, if they meet strict eligibility conditions.
That includes the exclusion of "teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport".
Also missing out will be "athletes who actively support the war" as well as "athletes who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies".
Additionally, "no flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function".
"No Russian or Belarusian government or state officials will be invited to or accredited for the Olympic Games Paris 2024."
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Comments ( 1)
There can be no moral neutral stance in Russia's illegal invasion of, and continued criminal activity in Ukraine. Its an insult to Ukranians and all those free nations / citizens supporting Ukraine, that some of the IOC probably more corrupt leadership (russian paid stooges?) keep trying to slide this through.
Here's perhaps a more morally appropriate thought (I'd let Ukraine make the final call) IOC leadership; instead of what you are currently proposing, have all athletes wishing to participate from those despot led nations sign a decree before their event starts, stating explicitly they do not condone putins' war in Ukraine. Perhaps the honourable athletes that do sign, will subsequently join the armed Russian resistance since they know a return to Russia during putin's tenure would probably mean death or indefinite imprisonment.
I'm not sure what other path other then their armed resistance to putin, will redeem that nation in international eyes from the evil they allowed fester under his thug regime.