The Ukraine is calling for the banning of these athletes, as Moscow continues its invasion of Ukraine, with the support of Minsk.
Published on 08/12/2023 16:01
Updated on 08/12/2023 17:16
Reading time: 1 min
The official logo of the 2024 Paris Olympics, printed on fabric, on August 14, 2023. (ARTUR WIDAK / NURPHOTO / AFP)
The Olympic authorities have decided earlier than expected. Expected for March 2024, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) opinion on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games was issued on Friday 8 December. The IOC thus supports the inclusion of these athletes under a neutral banner, except for team events – and only if the competitors have not actively supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Only eleven “neutral individual athletes” have qualified for the competition so far, eight Russians and three Belarusians, the IOC said, against about sixty Ukrainian athletes.
The Olympic world in favor of this participation
For several weeks, representatives of international federations and national Olympic committees have been calling for the earliest possible admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “The fundamental message of the Olympic movement is to create peace through sport in a very divided world today, where we see wars everywhere. It’s a message of hope that we want to convey,” said David Lappartient, president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee. A position that has sparked the ire of the Ukrainian government, firmly opposed to this inclusion. “It is clear that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood,” responded Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi on Thursday, echoing a formula used by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “It is untenable to have Ukrainian athletes standing alongside Russian athletes,” said Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee.
See comments
Share: the article on social networks
La Quotidienne Sport
Receive our selection of sports news at 8:30: articles, results, videos…
France Télévisions collects your email address to send you the newsletter “La Quotidienne Sport”. At any time, you can unsubscribe via the link at the bottom of these newsletters. To find out more, see our privacy policy.
