The International Olympic Committee opened its doors wide for Russian and Belarusian athletes on Wednesday.
19:10•Updated 20:17
International Olympic Committee inform (you switch to another service) investigating how Russians and Belarusians could return to international competitions.
The International Olympic Committee has set certain conditions for the return of Russian athletes.
First, Russian and Belarusian athletes would act as neutral athletes and would not be able to represent their country or any organization in their countries.
Second, only athletes who support the basic principles of the Olympics can participate. According to the IOC, it means that the athletes would have to commit to opposing the war in Ukraine and supporting the IOC’s message of peace to Ukraine. In addition, Russian and Belarusian athletes must comply with the world’s anti-doping rules. According to the IOC, personal checks must be done for each athlete.
According to the release, the IOC board held discussions on the subject with IOC members, athlete representatives, national federations and national Olympic committees last week.
Discussions took place from three different sides. Those who participated in the discussions unanimously agreed that the three sanctions must continue. Firstly, sports events should not be held in Russia or Belarus. Also, flags, national anthems or colors of Russia or Belarus should not be seen at sports events and in sports arenas. Third, Russian or Belarusian government officials should not be invited or accredited to international sporting events.
Another topic of discussion was support for Ukraine. The participants in the discussion agreed that the participation of Ukrainian athletes in international competitions in both the Paris Olympics 2024 and the Milan–Cortina D’Ampezzo Olympics 2026.
The third topic of discussion was the competition of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The majority of those who participated in the discussions were of the opinion that no athlete should be prevented from competing on the basis of nationality alone. The majority of those consulted stated that athletes should not be treated without discrimination in accordance with the basic principles of the Olympics.
The IOC says in its press release that the Olympic Council of Asia has also offered Russian and Belarusian athletes the opportunity to compete in Asia.
According to the International Olympic Committee, each international sports federation is the authority in its own competitions. According to the IOC, national governments cannot decide which athletes can participate in competitions and which cannot.
In the discussions of the different parties of the IOC, reference was made, among other things, to the participation of Yugoslav athletes in the Summer Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, even though the UN had imposed sanctions against Yugoslavia. At that time, Yugoslav athletes were allowed to participate in the Games with the status of independent athletes.
Updated at 20:16. Clarified in the title and the first sentence of the story so that the International Olympic Committee is investigating how Russian and Belarusian athletes can return to international competitions. Originally, there was talk of the return of the Olympics.