Russians to compete at Paris Olympics as neutrals

Russian and Belarusian athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be allowed to participate as neutrals, the International Olympic Committee has confirmed.

The conditions of their inclusion include competing without flags, emblems or anthems of their country.

Athletes from those nations were banned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine had threatened to boycott the Games if the ban was not upheld.

The decision comes after Olympic sports federations asked the IOC to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in Paris earlier this week.

"The executive board of the IOC has decided that individual neutral athletes (AINs) 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 in accordance with the conditions outlined," the Olympic body said on Friday.

"AINs are athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport. The strict eligibility conditions based on the recommendations issued by the IOC executive board on 28 March 2023 for international federations and international sports event organisers will be applied."

The IOC recommended to sports federations in March that only individual athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to compete - not teams representing those nations.

It also said athletes and support personnel who actively support the war in Ukraine must remain excluded.

"The protection of the rights of individual athletes to participate in competitions despite the suspension of their National Olympic Committee is a well-established practice, respecting human rights," the IOC said.

More to follow.