The International Olympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympics under certain conditions, and Ukraine responded with the voice of Sports Minister Marvyi Bidny.

>> Russia reacted to the conditions announced by the IOC for the participation of athletes in the Olympics in Paris

Ukraine after accepting Russians and Belarusians for the 2024 Olympics: “We must think first of all about winning the war”

Bidnyi called the IOC’s decision “irresponsible” and said that he had not yet spoken to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

“This decision was expected, but we did not expect it to come so quickly. We do not consider this a responsible decision and will now decide what to do.

This is not only a sports problem for our country, it is a foreign policy decision, a defense policy decision, and we should think first of all about winning the war.

We will consider this issue in the near future, see what the criteria for neutrality are and how the situation will develop, and make a decision in the interests of Ukraine.

The decision (regarding OB) will not be made quickly. We need to consult with our sports community and our leaders. We must see what we can do to ensure victory for our country. This is the most important thing for us today. This goes beyond sports competitions,” Marviy Bidny, Minister of Sports of Ukraine, for L’Equipe.

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

The International Olympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris (2024) 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.

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.

>> IOC, an important message about the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games in Paris