THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided yesterday to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paris 2024 Games as neutrals, without flags, emblems or anthems, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

“The Executive Board of the IOC has decided that Individual Neutral Athletes who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations on the field of play will be declared eligible to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 following the conditions outlined below.

“Individual Neutral Athletes are athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport,” the IOC said in a statement.

“No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function,” it said.

The IOC also said athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine would not be eligible, while any support personnel who do so would not be entered.

It said no Russian or Belarusian government or state officials would be invited to or accredited for the Paris Games.

Since the start of the war, Russian and Belarussian athletes have been banned or restricted from various competitions worldwide.

In March, the IOC, headed by Germany’s Thomas Bach, recommended allowing Russian and Belarussian athletes to return to competitions as neutral athletes. – Bernama, December 9, 2023.