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Posted On

29
March
2023

IOC recommends Russian, Belarusian athletes compete individually under neutral flag in intl competitions

KYIV. March 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Russian and Belarusian athletes can participate in international competitions under a neutral flag, the participation of teams of such athletes is not considered, President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach has said.

“The EB reiterates that the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 was not considered either in the consultations or in its deliberations today. The IOC expressly reserves the right to decide about their participation at the appropriate time, even if they would be considered to have qualified according to the qualification criteria set by their respective International Federations,” Bach said during a press conference.

In February 2022, the IOC recommended that international sports federations remove Russians and Belarusians due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Most of the federations have followed the recommendations of the IOC.

In January 2023, the IOC allowed the participation of Russians in a neutral status and subject to a number of conditions, in particular, the condemnation of Russia’s war against Ukraine.