“Changes May Happen.” IOC Confirms Russian Participation in 2024 Olympics

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sports Director Keith McConnell has confirmed the participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

McConnell said the number of Russian participants in the 2024 Olympics should remain unchanged, but he allows for adjustments to the application. He said that 32 neutral athletes are participating in the Olympics: 15 Russians and 17 Belarusians in ten different sports. The IOC representative added that the athletes are already moving into the Olympic Village, emphasizing that they are welcome to the competition.

The Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024.

IOC publishes list of Russian Olympic participants

In Paris, representatives of cycling Tamara Dronova, Alena Ivanchenko and Gleb Syritsa, Angela Bladtseva (trampoline), tennis players Daniil Medvedev, Roman Safiullin, Ekaterina Aleksandrova, Mirra Andreeva, Pavel Kotov, Diana Schneider, Elena Vesnina, Zakhar Petrov, Alexey Korovashkov, Olesya Romasenko (all canoeists), as well as swimmer Evgeny Somov will compete in neutral status.

The State Duma warned athletes against participating in the Games. Deputy Svetlana Zhurova pointed out, in particular, a number of organizational issues that could complicate the athletes’ participation in the competitions. According to her, even questions arise about how Russians will get to Paris: there are currently no direct flights to France, visas and transfers are required.

Russians denied participation in the opening ceremony of the Games

The IOC said that AIN (Individual Neutral Athletes) will not participate in the delegation parade because they are individual athletes. However, they will be given the opportunity to experience the event. The organization noted that this scenario was previously used for independent participants from the former Yugoslavia at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The decision on the participation of Russians in the closing ceremony of the Olympics will be made later. The IOC reminded that it is not teams that take part in it, but all the athletes together.

A number of Russian athletes have declined invitations to the Games

Wrestlers, judoists, some tennis players and swimmers will not take part in the Olympics. The reason was the conditions of admission from the IOC, according to which leading Russian athletes were not allowed to participate in the Games.

The President of the Russian Wrestling Federation (RWF) Mikhail Mamiashvili stated that the IOC does not follow the Olympic Charter, but is turning the Games into a political instrument. He called the decision irresponsible. The President of the Russian Judo Federation Sergey Soloveichik agreed with him, considering the conditions of admission humiliating.

Opinions on Russian participation in the Games in a neutral status are divided

The majority of Russians surveyed who plan to watch the Olympic Games will support athletes under a neutral flag because they are still proud of the achievements of their compatriots. 47 percent of those surveyed by analysts plan to watch the Olympic Games. At the same time, slightly less than half of Russians – 48 percent – have a negative attitude towards the absence of the Russian team at the competitions.

Olympic hockey champion Ilya Kovalchuk and two-time Olympic figure skating champion Evgeni Plushenko also believed that Russian athletes should take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They called for support for domestic athletes.

At the same time, skier Veronika Stepanova, head of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation Elena Vyalbe and the eyes of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Irina Viner did not support the participation of Russians in the Games. Viner stated that she does not accept the conditions to compete under a neutral flag.