Belarusians and Russians, who won four medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, including two gold, can present themselves as neutral athletes at the World Championships in Baku. The championship is scheduled from May 29 to June 6.
Representatives of both countries were excluded from the vast majority of sporting events a year ago after the invasion of Ukraine. Their return has now been recommended by the International Olympic Committee, subject to the fulfillment of several conditions of neutrality.
Athletes or members of implementation teams and other officials may not actively support the war in Ukraine, nor may they be members of the military or security forces. According to the AP agency, at the Olympics in Tokyo, members of the army club CSKA for Russia won 45 of the total number of 71 medals.
A special committee will supervise compliance with the conditions in taekwondo. “It will be a three-stage check. First from the national association, then from the continental federation and then each participant will be checked by the control committee. It will have the final say,” the federation said in a statement.
