IOC Backs Return Of Russian Athletes As Individuals, No Timeline For Paris Olympics

28.03.2023 - 19:27 sports.ndtv.com

Olympic chiefs on Tuesday recommended the return to competition of Russian and Belarusian athletes as individual neutrals, but refused to give a timeline on their potential participation at next year's Paris Olympics.

IOC president Thomas Bach said the body's Executive Board had recommended to international federations and international sports event organisers that "athletes with a Russian or a Belarusian passport must compete only as Individual Neutral Athletes".

German Sports Minister Nancy Faeser reacted immediately, calling the recommendation a "slap in the face" for Ukrainian athletes, who she said "deserve the solidarity of international sport". "International sport must condemn Russia's brutal war of aggression in no uncertain terms.

This can only be done with the complete exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes." Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk said it was a "day of shame for the IOC" after the "daily bombings of civilian sites".

Other sports Sporting athletics as Thomas Bach Paris Olympics Russia Ukraine Germany Moscow Belarus Poland

PARIS: World Triathlon on Thursday opened the way for athletes from Russia and Belarus, banned from competition since March 2022 after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, to once again compete in its competitions. The executive board of the global governing body of triathlon said it supported the recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of a “return to competition of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports in international competitions.” The board also approved “the lifting of the suspension applied to the countries’ participations in World Triathlon events at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” “In principle, World Triathlon supports the development of a pathway for independent neutral individual Athletes and Officials with Russian and Belarusian passports to participate in our sports.” The board added it “reaffirms its solidarity with Ukraine in the face of the ongoing war with Russia, and that the independence of any athlete or official was an absolute condition of their returning to a World Triathlon event.” Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced sanctions from a multitude of sports since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Kuleba welcomes German Interior Minister's stance to ban Russian athletes from entering country if IOC allows them to compete

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba welcomes the principled stance of German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on the need to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in sports competitions.

Ukraine loses if Russians, Belarusians not banned, says ski coach

The head coach of the Ukrainian freestyle skiing team said a failure to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition will represent a loss for Ukraine.

Taekwondo-Russians, Belarusians set to return at world championships

Russian and Belarusian taekwondo athletes are set to compete at next month's world championships after the sport's global governing body said it would allow them back as neutrals following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) guidance.

Russian athletes returning to international competition at taekwondo worlds in May

Russian athletes are set to compete again in taekwondo at next month's world championships, the sport's governing body said Monday.

Russian athletes set to return at taekwondo world championship

Russian athletes are set to compete in taekwondo at next month's world championships, the sport’s governing body said on Monday.