Russian athletes allowed to take part Olympics closing ceremony despite banishment over Ukraine war

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Russian athletes competing at the Paris Olympics as neutral individual athletes will be allowed to attend the closing ceremony on Sunday, officials said.

Athletes from Russia were not allowed to attend the opening ceremony and have not been able to represent their country in Paris due to its ongoing war against Ukraine. 

"The IOC Executive Board has decided that the Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) can participate at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024," the IOC said in a statement, via Reuters.

Russia was barred from competing in Paris, because it had invaded Ukraine just four days after the end of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee considered this attack a violation of the Olympic truce — a resolution that calls for all nations to lay down arms and not engage in conflict, starting one week before the Olympics begin and ending one week after the end. 

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A rocket is fired from the Russian army's Grad rocket launchers at an undisclosed location in Ukraine.  (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

The Russian Olympic Committee lost its appeal against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee in February. 

Belarus, which was used as a staging ground for the invasion, was also not allowed to compete in Paris, but any Belarusian athletes competing as neutrals will also be allowed to attend the closing ceremony. 

A total of 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus combined competed in Paris – 17 previously represented Belarus, and only 15 represented Russia. However, most of them returned home after their respective events ended.