The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has lifted the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, sanctioned since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and has recommended that federations authorize their participation in international competitions as “individual neutral athletes”, in addition to allowing compete in the qualifying process for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, although without guaranteeing their presence at those events.
Thus, the IOC Executive Board responds to the request of the 11th Olympic Summit, which met on December 9, after consultations with members of the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the federations and representatives of the athletes.
reserves the right to decide
However, it ensures that the participation of athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games “was not considered either in the consultations or in their deliberations.” “The IOC expressly reserves the right to decide on their participation at the appropriate time, even if they are deemed to have qualified in accordance with the qualification criteria established by their respective international federations,” it continued in its statement.
Regarding Russian or Belarusian athletes, the IOC leaves the decision to readmit them “at the discretion of the federations”, recommending that they return to the competition participating “as individual neutral athletes”, never as a team.
