The decision has been made!
As was the case at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to take part in the Summer Olympics in Paris next year (July 26th to August 11th) under a neutral flag. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the decision on Friday.
The IOC grants individual athletes from both countries permission to compete in the 2024 Summer Games under certain conditions, provided they meet the qualification conditions.
According to the IOC, eight Russians and three Belarusians have so far qualified for the Olympics in Paris. There are more than 60 Ukrainians among the approximately 4,600 athletes who are already eligible to take part.
In doing so, the IOC followed a request from the international summer sports associations and the National Olympic Committees to make a decision after long deliberations on this question, which has been controversial since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
Condition for returning to international competitions: Russians and Belarusians are only allowed to start in Paris under a neutral flag. Teams are not permitted. The national anthems will not be played and national symbols and flags are prohibited.
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The athletes must also have no connection to the army and security organs and must not have actively shown support for the war in Ukraine.
In addition, the anti-doping guidelines must be met and all athletes must make a written commitment to the Olympic Charter and thus also to the “peace mission of the Olympic Movement”.
After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Russians and Belarusians (supporting Russia in the conflict) were excluded from international competitions. In the spring, the IOC led by President Thomas Bach (69) opened the door for both countries to return and set the framework for participation in competitions.
Accordingly, athletes should be allowed to meet the qualification criteria for the Summer Games. In recent months, some world associations have followed the IOC’s guidelines and allowed Russians and Belarusians back in.
Until recently, the umbrella organization had left the decision about participation in the Olympics open. In September, the International Paralympic Committee also lifted its ban on Russia and allowed Russian disabled athletes to compete under a neutral flag at the Paralympics in Paris. This was seen as a harbinger of a decision by the IOC.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation also recently changed course and advocated for Russians and Belarusians to start. DOSB President Thomas Weikert (62): “If Germany were the only country to block Russians and Belarusians from competing under a neutral flag, there would be no international sporting events in our country.”