Let us remind you that, with exceptions, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russians and Belarusians were still prohibited from participating in the absolute majority of sports competitions.
So now the situation is changing. Let’s show you how.
According to the International Olympic Committee, Russian and Belarusian athletes who have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be allowed to participate as “neutral athletes”. They will be able to compete, but without their country’s flags, emblems or anthems.
In this decision, the IOC protects itself by respecting human rights.
There is an uproar in the Czech Republic because opponents of Russian participation claim that the Czech Olympic Committee did not fundamentally distance itself from the IOC’s move. The first two major sponsors of the Czech participation in Paris have therefore decided to withdraw their support for the Olympics.
Plzeňský prazdroj, the long-term official partner of the WWTP, has withdrawn from all communication towards the Olympic Games and will reportedly send the money to Czech athletes. Another official partner of the Czech participation, CPI Property Group Radovan Vítka, took an even tougher position. She even announced the end of cooperation with the WWTP.
The question is how relevant these positions are, because so far it seems that only absolute exceptions from Russia and Belarus will participate in the Olympics.
They almost certainly won’t be in the very strong and watched Olympic athletics. World Athletics said its position remains unchanged, with athletes, support staff and all officials from Russia and Belarus remaining banned from all events.
“You may see some neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus in Paris, but it won’t be in athletics,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said. “We have a firm position. I think it is right for international federations to make decisions that they believe are in the best interest of their sport. That’s what our board did,” he said at the recent meeting of the World Athletics Council in Monaco.
Ukraine itself initially threatened to boycott the games if the ban on the participation of Russians and Belarusians was not respected. However, Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait told Reuters in the summer that his country could back down from the threat if Russian and Belarusian athletes were forced to compete under a neutral flag. This is now fulfilled.
Strict conditions
And now to the reality of the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris. Of the 4,600 athletes who have qualified for the Games so far, only 11 have been listed so far – eight with Russian passports, three with Belarusian passports.
The IOC has set six rather strict eligibility conditions. Here they are: Qualified athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports will be entered as neutrals and compete as neutrals. Teams of athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports will not be considered. Athletes and support personnel who actively support the war will not be allowed to participate or compete. (However, it was not specified here how and who would control this.) Athletes and support personnel operating in organizations incorporated by the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be eligible to participate or compete. Each “neutral athlete”, like all other participants, must meet all anti-doping requirements.
Sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments remain in place, including the following measures: no flag, anthem, colors or other identification of Russia or Belarus will be flown or played at any official venue or event in Paris 2024. No officials will be invited or accredited to the Olympics the Russian or Belarusian government, including civil servants.
The Paris organizers themselves washed their hands of not wanting to interfere with the IOC’s decision. “It is the responsibility of Paris 2024 to host the athletes who have qualified for the Games under the best possible conditions, regardless of their nationality,” they said.
The second thing is how Moscow itself will ultimately react to the current situation. The effort to “respect human rights” on the part of the IOC will probably not be properly appreciated. For Putin, this approach will be difficult to accept, so it cannot be expected that Russia would enthusiastically send a few individuals without Russian symbols to Paris.
It is more likely that if any of the Russians and Belarusians in Paris compete, they will do so without the official support of the Russian regime.
And one more not insignificant final note. There are seven months left until the start of the Paris Olympics. That’s a long time in which a lot can happen. It is possible that everything will be completely different.
