LAUSANNE – The International Olympic Committee hit back at the mayor of Paris on Wednesday, insisting there were no plans for “a Russian or Belarusian delegation” at the 2024 games, while acknowledging that some athletes from those countries could be welcome .
The IOC statement came a day after Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said neither Russians nor Belarusians should be allowed to attend next year’s Olympics because of their involvement in the war in Ukraine.
Olympic leaders have mapped out a path for athletes from Russia and Belarus who did not actively support the war to try to qualify and compete as “neutral athletes” with no national identity such as team uniforms, flags and anthems.
“It is not possible to make a parade as if nothing had happened, a delegation coming to Paris while the bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine.” said Hidalgo on Tuesday.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with many sports leaders and athletes, have consistently said that any potential rivals from Russia or Belarus should be banned from Paris, extending a decision applied in most Olympic sports within days of the war that began last February.
Olympic bodies and legislators in the Baltics and Nordic Regions of Europe have also publicly supported Ukraine in opposing the IOC’s preferred route. They have warned of a possible boycott and are expected to take part in an online call for sport ministers hosted by the UK government on Friday.
Russian athletes have avoided being banned from the last four Olympics since 2016 in the wake of a state-sponsored doping scandal. At the last three Olympics, they competed without their national identities but in uniforms that clearly identified them as Russians.
Citing advice from a human rights expert that banning athletes on the basis of their passport would be discrimination, the IOC sought to clarify its position on Wednesday.
“There are no plans for a Russian or Belarusian delegation or the flags of these countries at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” the Olympic body said. “The only option that could be considered is single, neutral athletes like we saw at the French Open in tennis last year and again recently at the Australian Open in tennis and other professional sports.”
Tennis and cycling are among the few sports where Russian and Belarusian athletes continue to compete without their country’s name, flag or anthem.
The final decision on athlete eligibility rests with the governing bodies of each sport. The Summer Olympics’ umbrella group, known as ASOIF, will meet on March 3 to discuss the issue.
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