IOC not stalling decision over Russia and Belarus, insists committee president

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is not using stalling tactics in delaying a decision on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete at next year’s Paris Games, the committee's president Thomas Bach has said.

The IOC’s executive board set out recommendations on Tuesday which global sports federations can apply concerning the return of athletes from those countries to international events amid the invasion of Ukraine.

The recommendations say only individual, neutral athletes from those countries should be allowed to compete – not teams. Athletes and support personnel who actively support the war in Ukraine must also remain barred, as must any athlete or support staff member contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or security agencies.

Following a request by the 11th Olympic Summit, IOC issues recommendations for International Federations and international sports event organisers on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions:https://t.co/yNgQElJweK

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 28, 2023

However, the IOC has not yet decided on whether those athletes can compete at the Olympic Games themselves.

“We want to monitor the implementation of these recommendations for as long as possible and make an informed decision,” Bach said at a press conference.

Asked whether the IOC was kicking the issue down the road and effectively hoping the war would end to make a decision easier, Bach replied: “We are not kicking it down the road, and we are not waiting.

“We all would like the war to end now and this is what we are calling for, but as you can see from all the reasons we’re giving, the conditions are not related to the development of the war, they are