MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2023) Russian and Belarusian athletes could have a chance to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but only under a neutral flag, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said.
On Wednesday, the IOC announced that it was ready to consider the admission of Russian athletes to international tournaments under strict conditions that will be verified during individual checks. The conditions include participation in the tournaments under neutral status and the respect for the IOC's peace mission, including not supporting the conflict in Ukraine.
"Excluding athletes on the basis of their passport does not correspond to the values and the mission of the Olympic charter. Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris," Bach was quoted as saying by German weekly Der Spiegel.
In response to the IOC's Wednesday statement, Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait said that his country would consider boycotting the upcoming Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes would be allowed to compete.
Bach pointed out that Ukraine's possible boycott was "not in line with (the IOC's) mission."
"We know the point of view of Ukraine, which not only seeks to isolate Russia as a state, but also wants to isolate all Russians completely ... Individual athletes must not be discriminated against by exclusion, even if their countries are in conflict," Bach said.
On February 28, 2022, the IOC issued a recommendation to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competitions or only allow them to compete in neutral status in response to the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
