Russia, Belarus not officially invited to 2024 Paris Olympics, IOC says

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The International Olympic Committee will send out invitations for the 2024 Paris Olympics later this month, but Russia and Belarus will be among the nations that will not be included. 

The IOC announced Thursday that while a formal decision regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at next year’s Summer Games has yet to be made, the two nations will not be sent formal invitations when the more than 200 e​​ligible national Olympic committees (NOCs) receive theirs on July 26. 

Ukrainians walk past the headquarters of International Olympic Committee (IOC) during a protest against the proposed IOC roadmap to organize the return to competition of Russian athletes under a neutral flag, provided that they have "not actively supported the war in Ukraine," in Lausanne on March 25, 2023. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

"The IOC will take this decision at the appropriate time, at its full discretion, and without being bound by the results of previous Olympic qualification competitions," a statement read. 

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"The invitations to the 203 eligible NOCs will be sent on 26 July 2023. For the reasons given, this will exclude the NOCs of Russia and Belarus, plus the NOC of Guatemala, which is currently suspended."

Following the war in Ukraine, the IOC urged international sports bodies to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition. Many did, while others allowed them to compete under a neutral banner. 

More than a year later, the IOC has now been working to support a pathway to allow some of those athletes to