The International Olympic Committee (IOC) board has sanctioned the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the Paris Olympics, allowing them to compete under a neutral flag

The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given the green light for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, under specific conditions. This decision was made in a meeting held on Friday, December 8. Athletes from these countries will be allowed to compete, but only under a neutral flag and on the condition that they do not endorse the Russia-Ukraine war. Furthermore, athletes serving in the Russian and Belarusian military are not eligible to participate in the Games.

The IOC clarified that individual neutral athletes who qualify through the International Federations’ systems will be eligible for the Paris Olympics. To date, eight Russian and three Belarusian athletes have qualified as neutral competitors for these Games.

This development follows the earlier ban on Russian athletes from the Olympics after Russia initiated a war against Ukraine in March 2022. The ban extended to Belarusian athletes as well due to Belarus’ support for Russia. This led to significant repercussions for Russian sports internationally.

In response, UEFA suspended the Russian Football Association, and tennis players were required to compete under neutral flags. Russia also lost its role as host of the 2022 Champions League final and was disqualified from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The IOC’s conditions for participation include barring teams comprised of Russian or Belarusian passport holders and athletes who actively support the war or are employed by Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies. During the Paris Games, there will be no display of Russian or Belarusian flags, anthems, colors, or any other national symbols.

Additionally, the IOC stated that no Russian or Belarusian government or state officials would be invited or accredited for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

This decision implies that Russia will be represented under a neutral flag for the second consecutive Olympic Games, following a similar situation in the 2020 Games due to a doping scandal. In those games, Russian athletes competed under the banner of the “Russian Olympic Committee,” abbreviated as “ROC.”