IOC does not invite athletes from Belarus and Russia to the Paris Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today issued an official invitation to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and their athletes to participate in the Games of the XXXIII Olympics, which will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. However, Belarus, Russia and Guatemala did not receive such an invitation.

According to the committee's website, a total of 203 NOCs were invited to participate in the Games in Paris. However, this number does not include the NOC of Guatemala, which is currently suspended, as well as the NOCs of Russia and Belarus.

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has officially stated that teams from Russia and Belarus will not be invited because of their invasion of Ukraine. However, the IOC leaves the door open for athletes competing under a neutral flag.

Initially, the decision on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus was to be made at the IOC session in October, but this deadline was canceled. According to Bach, this move is intended to avoid a situation where control over the process becomes difficult.

In addition to Belarus and Russia, Guatemala did not receive an invitation to the Paris Olympics. Its government is suspected of interfering in the activities of the local NOC.

Earlier, the head of the IOC said that governments have no right to interfere in sports, including the demand to suspend athletes from Russia from the 2024 Olympics in connection with their actions in Ukraine.

Officials from 36 countries discussed the IOC's proposal to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to world sport in a neutral status. However, the governments came to the conclusion that there were no grounds to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in international sports competitions.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, also expressed her opposition to allowing Russians to compete. In addition, the Olympic committees of a number of countries joined forces to oppose the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympics.

According to the reaction of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he addressed his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, with a position on Russian athletes at the Olympics. He noted that the IOC's attempt to allow Russians to participate in international competitions, including the Olympics, is unacceptable, as the IOC is trying to minimize Russia's crimes against Ukraine.