Paris Olympics: Plenty of time to rule on Russian athletes-IOC

The IOC sanctioned Russia and its ally Belarus after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 but earlier this year recommended that their athletes be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals.

Representative Image: “You want a time frame and we said we will take a decision when the time is right,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. | Photo Credit: Michel Euler

The International Olympic Committee still has sufficient time to decide whether Russian and Belarusian athletes will take part in next year’s Paris summer Olympics, it said on Wednesday.

The IOC sanctioned Russia and its ally Belarus after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 but earlier this year recommended that their athletes be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals.

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Many international federations have since included Russian and Belarusian athletes who can compete with no flag or anthem, while athletes who support the war or are contracted to military or national security agencies are excluded.

But that does not include the Paris 2024 Olympics with a separate decision still to be taken by the IOC.

“You want a time frame and we said we will take a decision when the time is right,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “That is the right thing to do and see how things are developing.”

“I think it (a decision) needs to be flexible because it is a moving situation. We will take a decision regarding Paris when the time is fit and there remains plenty of time for that decision to be taken,” he added.