In a landmark decision amidst the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics as neutrals.
This decision comes after the initial ban on these athletes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The IOC made it clear that individuals who actively support the war in Ukraine will not be allowed to participate in the prestigious sporting event. Furthermore, no officials from Belarus or Russia will be granted attendance at the Olympics.

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The athletes, once banned from international competitions, will now have the opportunity to participate only in individual sports, excluding team-based events where they would traditionally represent their nations.
The IOC’s statement highlighted that protecting the rights of individual athletes to participate in competitions, despite the suspension of their National Olympic Committee (NOC), is a well-established practice that respects human rights. This approach has been implemented for other suspended NOCs in past Olympic Games.
Despite the approval for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, they will not be allowed to showcase any national identity, including flags, colors, or anthems representing their respective countries.
This decision follows the IOC’s recommendation against the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions after the invasion of Ukraine last year.
The Russian Olympic Committee, previously suspended in 2017 due to a state-sponsored doping scandal, faced no suspension following the invasion but was advised against international participation.

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In March, the IOC recommended allowing athletes from these countries to compete again as neutrals, paving the way for their potential inclusion in Paris 2024.
Notably, Ukraine has voiced its opposition to this decision and has even threatened to boycott the Olympics unless a full ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is upheld.
The IOC reported that out of the 4,600 athletes who have earned spots at the Paris Olympics so far, only eight are Russian and three are Belarusian, underlining the limited representation of these nations in the upcoming Games.