Russian and Belarusian athletes can participate in international competitions under a neutral flag and only in individual tournaments, said Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee. According to Interfax, the participation of athletes from these countries in team sports is not considered.
“Today, the IOC Executive Committee issues the following recommendations to international federations and organizers of international sports competitions: firstly, athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports should only compete as individual athletes. Secondly, teams of athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports cannot be considered,” Bach said.
In February 2022, the IOC recommended that international sports federations remove Russians and Belarusians from competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. Most of the federations have followed the recommendations of the IOC.
In January 2023, the IOC allowed the participation of Russians in a neutral status and subject to a number of conditions, in particular, subject to the condemnation of the special operation.
Source: Rosbalt
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