Zelenskyy to address summit of 30 countries gathered to discuss Paris Olympics

10.02.2023 - 17:45 cbc.ca

As Ukraine pushes for Russian athletes to be barred from next year's Paris Olympics and threats of a boycott mount, officials from 30 countries were holding a summit Friday to discuss how to respond.

The International Olympic Committee argues it would be discriminatory to exclude Russia and ally Belarus entirely. With qualifying in many sports already under way, the IOC wants athletes from those countries to compete in a neutral capacity without national symbols.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has previously said any neutral flag for Russia would be "stained with blood," is due to address the online summit by video link.

Zelenskyy made surprise visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, pushing for fighter jets to battle Russian invaders in a dramatic speech to the British Parliament.

Sporting athletics Paris Olympics Volodymyr Zelenskyy Britain Russia France Ukraine Belarus

Ukrainian diver Stanislav Oliferchyk proudly bears the name of his late grandfather, who died in brutalized Mariupol. Russia's troops turned the Ukrainian port city into a killing zone in the process of capturing it. The elder Stanislav could no longer get the cancer treatment he needed in the ruins, his grandson says. He was 74 when he died last October.

Novak Djokovic confirms plans to target Paris Olympics in 2024 and go for elusive gold medal

Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will target Olympic gold – the one major title missing from his collection – in Paris next summer. The Serb, who celebrated a record-breaking 378th week at world No.1 this week, won bronze at Beijing 2008 but failed to crack the podium in London, Rio or Tokyo. Ad The tennis events at Paris 2024 will take play at Roland-Garros, home of the French Open, where Djokovic has won just two of his 22 Grand Slam titles amid Rafael Nadal’s astonishing dominance on clay.

Nations: No clarity on neutrality, no Olympics for Russia

The governments of more than 30 nations released a letter Monday calling on the IOC to clarify the definition of "neutrality" as it seeks a way to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes back into international sports and, ultimately, next year's Paris Olympics.

IBA demand that boycotted world championships must be 2024 Olympic qualifiers

The International Boxing Association say that IOC's qualifying process for boxing at next year's Olympic Games is unacceptable and must recognise a world championships that many countries, including Ireland, are boycotting.

European Union lawmakers condemn IOC's decision to set path for Russian athletes to compete in Paris games

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