Olympic games
Umbrella organizations want permission for Russians to take part in the Olympics
Russian athletes could take part in the Olympic Games under special conditions. photo
© Hannibal Hanschke/epa/dpa
The IOC is still playing for time when it comes to the issue of Russian athletes starting at the Summer Games. Many large associations are now demanding a quick decision.
The governing bodies of international sport are urging the IOC to do so Permission for Russian athletes to compete at the Summer Games in Paris.
According to the will of the international summer sports associations and the continental associations of the National Olympic Committees, athletes who have qualified for the 2024 Olympics under a neutral flag should be allowed to take part in Paris. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should make a quick decision on this issue, the associations demanded at the Olympic summit in Lausanne.
The IOC leadership around President Thomas Bach once again pointed out that participation for athletes from Russia and Belarus would only be possible under strict conditions. They are only allowed to take part in Paris as individual athletes under a neutral flag and have no connection to the army and security organs. Teams would not be allowed.
Belarus also excluded
The background is Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Belarus supports Russia in this conflict and was therefore initially excluded from international sports competitions after the war began. The IOC had already opened the door to the major sports stages for Russia and Belarus in the spring and set the framework for participation in competitions.
This should also enable athletes to meet the qualification criteria for the Summer Games. In recent months, a number of world associations have followed the IOC’s guidelines and allowed Russians and Belarusians back in.
In September, the International Paralympic Committee also lifted its complete ban against Russia and allowed Russian disabled athletes to compete at the Paralympics in Paris under a neutral flag. This was already seen as a harbinger of a corresponding decision by the IOC.