2024 will be the year of the Olympic Games in Paris. The International Olympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games under a neutral flag, with the exception of team competitions and on the condition that they do not actively support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympics in Paris

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee banned Russians and Belarusians from world sport until the end of February 2022, but has now moved in two stages to secure their return.

The explanation was that athletes should not have to pay for mistakes or actions of the government.

At the same time, in March, the IOC recommended that international federations reintegrate Russians and Belarusians under a neutral flag in their competitions.

According to the IOC statement, only eleven “individual neutral athletes”, including eight Russians and three Belarusians, have so far qualified for the 2024 Olympics, compared to around sixty Ukrainian athletes.

The IOC has been waiting to assess the conduct of the competition, which is generally considered satisfactory, and to see the evolution of the position of the Ukrainian government, which initially asked its athletes to boycott any competition involving Russians before softening its stance for this summer, reports Agerpres.