This is how neutral athletes (Russian and Belarusian) can participate in Paris 2024
Juan José Saldaña
May 12, 2024

There is less and less left until the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to have its consequences regarding the Russian and Belarusian athletes who participate in the rings event. Although at some point their participation was in danger, the truth is that they will be able to do so under the Neutral Athletes Team and without their representative national emblems.

On March 28, 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the conditions that athletes from these countries must accept in order to participate in Paris 2024. The same entity was the one that grouped them under the name of Neutral Individual Athletes (AIN) and appointed several figures from the history of sports to make up a committee in charge of supervising that the conditions of the classified athletes were met. Nicole Hoevertsz, IOC vice president; Pau Gasol, former NBA champion; and Ryu Seung-min, former table tennis champion make up the review team.

In addition, there is another key condition to verify sports classification: not having publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine and not being affiliated with military or security agencies of their respective states.

Regarding Paris 2024, Neutral Athletes were excluded from the opening parade of the Olympic Games by decision of the IOC, although they will participate in the rest of the ceremony. Not all the representatives of these countries have yet been confirmed, some intentions are clear, such as the interest shown by the Russian world tennis star, Daniil Medveved, who by ranking should have no problems qualifying. Around 36 Russian and 22 Belarusian athletes are expected to attend Paris 2024, a figure considerably lower than that of Tokyo 2020.

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