Olympic Games ‘can build bridges’ with Russian athletes in Paris, insists IOC

The International Olympic Committee says the Olympic Games can “set an example” to the world on unity and building bridges as it defends plans to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for Paris 2024.

The IOC has faced heavy criticism in some quarters for examining ways that athletes from Russia and Belarus could participate in the Games as neutrals amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

A group of more than 30 nations – including the UK – issued a collective statement on Monday calling for the ban on those athletes to continue.

In a statement issued to mark the one-year anniversary of the invasion being launched by Russia, the IOC said it had shown “unwavering solidarity” to the people and athletes of Ukraine but insisted its mission was to promote peace through sport, citing how athletes from warring nations such as North and South Korea, Israel and Palestine and Armenia and Azerbaijan had competed in the same Games in the past.

“During the Olympic Games, athletes from 206 different National Olympic Committees live together in peace in the Olympic Village,” the statement read. “Peace-building efforts need dialogue. A competition with athletes who respect the Olympic Charter can serve as a catalyst for dialogue, which is always a first step to achieving peace.

“The Olympic Games cannot prevent wars and conflicts. Nor can they address all the political and social challenges in our world. This is the realm of politics. But the Olympic Games can set an example for a world where everyone respects the same rules and one another.

“They can inspire us to solve problems by building bridges, leading to better understanding among people. They can open the door to dialogue and peace-building in ways that exclusion and