MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2023) The position of the UK government towards Russian and Belarusian athletes deprives London of the opportunity to host Olympic Qualifier Series for breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and BMX freestyle scheduled for June next year, news portal insidethegames reported on Monday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) initially considered the London Olympic Park as one of the venues to host qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the report said. The IOC, however, abandoned these plans as London said that Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete in the country only if they signed a personal declaration of neutrality and did not support Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report added.
"We are extremely disappointed that we have not been able to bring the Olympic Qualifier Series to the UK, as we had hoped ... It is particularly frustrating for those British athletes who are now missing out on the advantage of striving to qualify for Paris in front of a passionate home crowd," a British Olympic Association spokesman told the portal.
The IOC recommended in March that Russians be allowed to compete as individual neutral athletes as long as they do not actively support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine or are contracted by their national military or national security agencies.
Many sports organizations across the globe have banned Russian athletes from participating in their competitions in response to Moscow's ongoing military operation in Ukraine. The athletes have also been barred from competing under the national flag and using the national anthem at major international sports events, including the Olympics.
Paris will host the 2024 Olympics from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
